Asparagus, 'Connover's Colossal'

Germination

Sow indoors. Soak seeds in warm water for 2 hours, then sow 25mm deep into moist well-drained seed compost. Ideal temp. 21-30°C. Keep in a bright place. Germination takes 2-8 weeks. Transplant seedlings once large enough to handle to 8cm pots and grow on. Keep under glass for the first winter. Plant out the following April. The soil should have plenty of added organic matter and lime if the soil is acid. Dig trenches 20cm deep, 30cm wide, 90cm apart. The plant/ crown should have its roots spread into the trench and covered with 5cm of soil. Continue to fill trench with soil as the crown grows.

Growing

Prefers any well-drained soil in full sun or dappled shade. The small black seeds turn into long tube-like roots called crowns. Developed crowns, which take more than a year to establish, will send up spears in the 2-3 year of growth. Established crowns can send up a 25cm spear in less than 24 hours! Spears appear in April approx. and can be harvested for 6-8 weeks. Protect the bed with a double layer of horticultural fleece if frost is forecast. Can be prone to Asparagus beetle, to treat destroy old stems by burning at the end of the season or remove pests by hand. Larger plots can be treated with a spray containing pyrethrum.

Cultivation

An Asparagus plant should last for 15-20 years before it exhausts itself. Do not harvest for the first 2 years after planting. Patience is needed, but it is worth the wait. A short harvest season of 6-8 weeks. Spears should be harvested daily to keep up with growth. Cut spears 2.5cm below the soil when they are no more than 18cm tall.