Description
Pacific Purple Asparagus is noted for its sweetness and tenderness, and is perfect served cold in a healthy salad. It has a very low fibre content which means that almost the entire spear is free of the tough fibre normally found on the bottom of many green varieties.
Planting Crowns:
- Crowns can be planted about 3-4 weeks prior to last average frost date.
- In a furrow 5-8" deep (shallower for heavy soils), 12" wide, place crowns with buds up and roots spread out, 8-14" apart in row (closer spacing creates more slender spears), 3-6' between rows.
- Cover crowns with 2-3" of soil at planting.
- As spears grow, gradually fill in furrow.
- Use caution when cultivating to avoid damaging crowns.
- Keep bed free of weeds (straw or leaf mulch works well) and irrigate regularly during establishment.
- Allow "ferns" to grow - do not cut until they die back in the Autumn.
- Add compost or aged manure to the beds each Autumn or early Spring.
Harvest:
- One year and two years after planting, beds can be harvested lightly in spring (7-14 days).
- A normal harvest of 6 weeks is possible three years after planting.
- Harvest by bending spears over until they snap, or cut with knife just below soil surface.
- Store harvested spears upright at 2.2°C and 95-100% relative humidity for up to 2 weeks.
