ASPARAGUS-MARY WASHINGTON
ASPARAGUS-MARY WASHINGTON
A$3.50
Availability: 77 in stock
Asparagus Officinalis
ASPARAGUS-MARY WASHINGTON is a perennial from the Mediterranean area popularised in the 1940’s in Australia. Has long straight spears and purple/green tight tips. Excellent flavour either raw or cooked it grows to about 150cm. Rust resistant plant needs a cold winter to thrive. Prefers full sun, well drained sandy soils but can be planted in heavily prepared clay soil (double dig) with added slow release phosphorous potassium fertiliser. Seeds can be started indoors with three or four seeds together at a depth of 5 mm. RE-pot as they grow to allow space for the root ball. Plant out in winter or early spring in furrows 20 cm deep and 45 cm apart on mounded up soil. Splay roots over the mound at a 45-degree and cover to roughly 7cm depth. Soil temp should be 10 °c.
Seeds can take three to four years to establish before you can harvest. Water well ever two weeks till well established. After first winter frost trim back dead foliage, mix in good compost and cover with hay.
pH: 6.5 – 7 – Hardy Perennial / Annual
Scoville Heat Units (SHU)
Plant Height
45 - 60 cm (18 - 24 inches)
Season of Interest
Spring to Autumn
Temperature Range
10 - 24 °C
Determine / Indeterminate
Annual / Perennial / Biennial
Annual
Frost Hardy / Tender
Frost Tender
Full Sun / Part Sun / Shade
Full Sun
Sow Direct / Raise Seedlings
Raise seedlings and transplant
Soil
Loamy, well-drained soil
pH
6.0 - 7.0
Soil Temperature
10 - 18 °C (50 - 64 °F)
Seed Preparation
No pre-treatment required
Sowing Depth
0.5 cm (0.2 inches)
Plant Spacing
45 - 60 cm (18 - 24 inches)
Row spacing
60 - 90 cm (24 - 36 inches)
Watering
Ensure consistent moisture, but avoid waterlogging.
Germination Time (Days)
7 - 14 days
Harvest Time (Days)
70 - 90 days
Good Companion Plants
Celery, Peas, and Spinach
Bad Companion Plants
Strawberries and Tomatoes
Pests
Cabbage Worms,Aphids,Cabbage Loopers
Diseases
Clubroot,Black Rot,Downy Mildew
More About Us
When I started this journey in 2009, I found nothing existed commercially, that was reasonably priced and easy to use. There was a homemade system which I also found was not that user-friendly.
Then a friend of mine told me about a homemade method she used. However, when I tried her method, I found this also didn’t suit my needs, as it too had flaws that I considered where important. It did not keep vermin out, did not have a lockable lid and (to me) looked unsightly in the garden
