Look ma, my asparagus is growing!

Three years ago I purchased Mary Washington asparagus seeds, a variety that is hardy enough for zone 6a, from Rare Seeds. I followed their instructions and all seeds sprouted! I dedicated a whole bed for it, but I didn't plant all 25 because there was no room for them. I planted 12 of them and I gave the rest to a friend. 

The first two seasons I did not the harvest any asparagus spears because you want to develop a strong root system. The first year I saw the ferns grow to be about four feet tall and the asparagus spears grew to about two feet tall. The spears were too thin, though. The first fall, in preparation for the New York winter, I mulched the bed heavily with straw and hay after the fers had died back and I cut them to the ground. The second summer the spears looked much stronger and got really tall. There were spears that were as tall as I am, 5' 10", however that's not a reliable measure because I've been shrinking stradily, but I digress. 

That following late fall/early winter again I mulched the bead heavily after the ferns had died back. During both winters we got a considerable amount of snow, but the plants survived and proved that this variety is indeed very hardy. 

During both summers the ferns got to be so tall that I had to devise a method to hold the ferns upright and not falling on the ground and possibly breaking. I wanted the asparagus to benefit from the sun's energy. Here are a few YouTube videos that I created for my asparagus:

1. Supporting the ferns.
   
   
2. Winterizing the bed.
   
   
3. Early spring bed maintenance.

This morning, after almost 24 hours of steady, slow, rain I went outside and walked around the garden and I saw several spears that had sprouted! The spears are nice and thick and I'm already planning the first dish where asparagus is the star of the show. 

Please note that I prescribe to the Ruth Stout philosophy where you mulch your garden heavily with straw or leaves or hay. If you are not familiar with this gardening methodology please go to your local library and check out this author's books.

Happy gardening!