Your comments and tips

20 Oct 11, Jen (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

What pest would not only nibble through the delicate seedling Asparagus frond but eat every bit of green? On checking this morning there is NO sign of any frond left and there is no soil disturbance on the surface of the big pot? I am still speaechless... Any ideas outhere and what do I do now, wait and hope for more fronds to grow OR compost the lot??? and yes should you be wondering I am the same gardener who submitted the previous question and mistakenly clicked on NZ but this is the correct location, I am in Tasmania..\

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23 Oct 11, Rowena (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Perhaps cutworm? They do eat the entire plant if it's tender enough :O) I got the following advice from the Yates website and it worked for me: Cutworms are only active at night, so go out after dark with a torch and check for caterpillars at work.Prevent cutworm attack by placing small, open-ended plastic cups around plants or by wrapping plant bases with aluminium foil. (Start just below the surface of the soil).

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23 Nov 11, Lucien Lowe (Australia - temperate climate)

I have eight Asparagus plants in the corners of my 3metre x 1.5metre vege garden beds. I bought them as seedlings from Bunnings and they have been growing well for the last twelve months or so and still doing well. I have harvested lots of spears so far, but now I am thinking of transplanting my plants all into one bed. Can I cut the plant into two and plant them without destroying the plant? At the moment they are well ferned up and look quite healthy and strong. Also is it too late to do this now coming into December? Thanks, Lucien.

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27 Dec 11, Mary (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I am a first time grower and am preparing the ground with compost only in a mound.what else should I add? SHEEP MANURE OR CHOOK.DO THEY LIKE LIME?

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15 Apr 12, Trudy Franklin (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Asparagus prefers a high ph of 7.0, so my gardening books state, so yes liming likely will be needed. Can you test the ph of your soil? I give mine horse manure and sheep pellets - I have no source for hen poo, but I cannot see any reason why that would not be good for them.

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08 Apr 12, Kate McCarthy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi guys After many attempts, we now have success with growing asparagus. In answer to previous question(s) I believe you can harvest many many spears from each plant, so they are well worth growing. My question to others is: I have read English literature that told of a practice of heaping salt on the plants after the fronds appear. I would not want to add salt to our saline landscape but wonder why this would benefit asparagus? Also is Autumn the time to add high nitrogen (organic & mostly home made) fertilisers? Lastly, I bought seeds & 2 year crowns on line. Gotta love that company! Thanks Kate

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23 Aug 12, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I was told that asparagus was a shoreline plant originally, hence the supposed saline affection. All I have done is mulch with unwashed seaweed from the beach. This provides excellent nutrition and so far so good. I'd be careful about adding salt, and seaweed seems the perfect solution.

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02 Oct 12, Rob (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hold off on fertilising during autumn especially with nitrogen and other soluble types. Fertilising is best done just before the plants enter their rapid growth phase, this is not only true for asparagus but for all plants although if your crop is flowers, fertilising during their rapid growth phase is also beneficial.

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15 Apr 12, Johnny Meinert (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)

Hi, am living on a smallhold close to Swakopmund in Namibia.Plot owners plant successfully green asp on rather salty soil.I would like to try white asp on 1/4 ha land.Soil is soft and fine. We never have frost and have to water since we have no rainfall. Preferable thick stemms since i would like to market already peeled stems.Please advise type of young plants and where to buy against what costs. Regards, Johnny.

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22 Jul 12, Gail Broekman (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

I am also wanting to grow about half a hectare of asparagus and would like to know whether you managed to find any plants and where from? Regards

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