Asparagus needs temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees, and it just stops growing when it’s wet.’ While Scotland’s wet weather can cause problems, he also credits the climate with the glowing praise lavished on his asparagus, including a testimonial from Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin that branded it ‘as good as anything you can get elsewhere in Europe, if not better.’ ul.art-contest a, ul.art-contest img{transition:all 0.3s ease 0s;} display:inline; The Jersey Supreme is more uniform than other hybrids of asparagus and it grows well in soil that has at least some sand in it. It is a traditional form of asparagus that grows long and uniformly. .art-vote-links {margin-left:3px;} backface-visibility: hidden; On heavy soils consider creating raised beds. Image your garden with many varieties of Asparagus. Varieties of Asparagus ‘Jersey’ Series – This all-male series of hybrid asparagus varieties include ‘Jersey Giant,’ a hardy plant that performs well in chilly climates. Spread: 45cm (18"). Once a bed is mature, weeding remains as the biggest challenge. Pomona Fruits Spring 2020 catalogue features three new asparagus varieties. Whichever variety is grown will come back time and time again for up to 15 years or more, so when choosing a variety, make sure it's one you love. It also produces a large crop and is very sturdy. Although many people believe that thinner and younger asparagus is more tender, it is actually just the opposite. Growing asparagus is a long-term, but incredibly worthwhile investment. Asparagus is easy enough to grow but just be aware that you need to prepare the soil properly, have plenty of space in your vegetable garden and it will need to have regular hand weeding. It originated in Europe, North Africa, and West Asia and has been consumed for more than 2,000 years. If you buy asparagus crowns to early, before the weather is OK to plant them, they may produce sprouts if they are not stored in very cool conditions, see the picture below. Asparagus varieties we would recommend are 'Ginlim' (RHS Award of Garden Merit), 'Pacific 2000' and a late variety to extend the season, 'Guelph Millennium'. A well-trained and reasonably fertile soil in an open sunny position is required for an asparagus bed. Asparagus is a perennial vegetable, which makes it good for growing on plots where it will not be disturbed. Easy to plant fast to grow. An open, sunny site is best, but asparagus will tolerate dappled shade. Asparagus is available year-round, but spring is the best season for this nutritious vegetable. height: 260px; Hybrids versus non Hybrids. In addition, because it tends to have more sugar than other varieties of asparagus, it is also much sweeter in taste. It starts to thrive in its second year after planting. Asparagus grows best in an open, sunny site, but will tolerate dappled shade. With no need for seed production, it puts all its energy into producing top quality spears; so you can expect heavier yields than most varieties. ‘Jersey Supreme’ is a newer, disease-resistant variety that produces spears earlier than ‘Giant’ or … The nutritious spears are delicious fried with garlic or as an ingredient in soup. A pH of 6.5-7.5 is ideal, so more acidic soils may need liming. In fact, one of the best ways to avoid asparagus rust, a fungal disease that reduces yields, is to plant rust-resistant varieties. Purple asparagus isn’t only different because of its color but also because of its content. On an allotment, my experience is that asparagus is not the easiest crop to grow. Although varieties were whittled down over time, it became much harder to make the final selections. As its name suggests, this type of asparagus grows in the wild and is easy to find if you know where to look. By the end of May, asparagus is at the end of its season in most locations. It has excellent flavor and does best when grown in zones 3-8. padding:15px; Growing well in all growing zones, the plant itself gets to roughly three to four feet in size when fully mature, including the actual vegetable, and it is often found in farmers’ markets and other local markets. The asparagus itself gets to roughly eight inches while the plant can grow up to seven feet tall. It is a type of herb that is very easy to cultivate and it is also a type of Mary Washington asparagus. Heavy crops of medium to thick spears of excellent quality. ‘Jersey Knight’ is one of the more vigorous types of asparagus; highly resistant to asparagus diseases such as crown rot, rust and fusarium wilt. The only difference between green and white asparagus is the color because white asparagus has the same taste and texture as green asparagus, provided that it is the same or a similar variety. Height: 150cm (59"). Asparagus crowns despatch time: Only between April and May as this is the best time to plant crowns. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. China is the world’s largest asparagus producer with nearly 7 million tons each year. It was awarded the RHS AGM in 1993 and again in 2009. The Apollo asparagus yields a large crop and blooms earlier than many other types of asparagus. The wild asparagus bush usually gets to around three feet in length and it has thorns that are green and sharp but also soft. All these benefits make 3 Year Asparagus a worthy investment for your garden. ul.art-contest img:hover{opacity:.6;} The name of the asparagus means in part “early” so if you aren’t very patient, you won’t have to wait very long for this type of asparagus to be harvested from your garden. width: 260px; £19.50 inc. p&p Asparagus 'Guelph Millennium' (12 crowns) This new male dominant F1 hybrid variety is exceptionally well adapted to cooler conditions and is therefore a very good choice for the UK climate. It is resistant to rust and fusarium wilt and it does best in growing zones 3-8. Asparagus ‘Gijnlim’ is an ‘all male’ variety. ul.art-contest li { About asparagus. This type of asparagus was developed in 1978 and is one of the most popular types of asparagus, if not the most common. Asparagus Plants. The best asparagus varieties are all-male F1 varieties. The Jersey Series asparagus is a hybrid variety of all-male plants and includes Jersey Giant, Jersey Knight, and Jersey Supreme. The start of the season around 23rd April (St.George’s Day) hails the start of the fresh produce bounty that is the British spring/summer. position:relative; Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. It’s season is short, just 8 weeks, so grab it while you can. If your order contains Asparagus crowns then we can only despatch when all plants are ready in the Spring. It is also both a male and a female plant. Do not replant an old asparagus bed with new asparagus plants. It prefers full sun and the plant itself can get up to three feet in height. If you can spot the yellow growth somewhere in the fall, you can go back in the spring and look for spears that will likely be growing by then. Varieties. Wild asparagus can usually be harvested in early spring and it is found frequently in western Europe and Great Britain, mostly on coastal dunes and cliffs as well as open grassy areas near seas. Another reason for its high cost is the fact that it costs a lot of money just to produce it, which has to be passed on to consumers. It performs well in a range of soils and produces heavier crops than many other varieties. They are more vigorous than the older, open-pollinated varieties. Purple asparagus by contrast comes from a number of varieties that are purple in colour. A pH of 6.5-7.5 is ideal, so more acidic soils may need liming. < Previous variety Next variety > background-image:none !important; ul.art-contest p a:hover{text-decoration:none;color:#298CBA;} There is no shortage of wild seed flying across an allotment, and the result is that a gardener needs to be constantly clearing away weeds when young, to avoid disturbing the soil and risk damaging the roots of the asparagus crowns. Dig the patch to a spade’s depth and work in … The crowns need two years to become established, with only light picking recommended in this period. ul.art-contest img{ Green asparagus varieties for production in warm climates: All the varieties are 100% male hybrids with a long and profitable productive life, uniform production and no risk of seedlings. How to Grow Asparagus for Beginners in the UK Thanks for taking the time to read our article on how to grow asparagus for beginners in the UK. Newer varieties such as Pacific 2000 and Guelph Millennium are well One of my most premature orders (so some may think) is 20 crowns of asparagus. Cookies are used to collect visitor data to help improve this website and to show advertising. padding:15px; When you choose thicker asparagus, the texture will be even more tender because asparagus has a fixed set of fibers that aren’t as obvious in thicker spears. It also grows in most climates from 45ᵒ to 85ᵒ Fahrenheit and it can even tolerate frost. These cookies do not store any personal information. 2. -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; Tolerant of rust and fusarium, the UC 157 asparagus is uniform in both size and color and it is a perfect type of asparagus to grow commercially because of its high yields. The Atlas asparagus is resistant to most diseases that affect asparagus plants and it does very well in hot climates. vertical-align: middle; During this time, an asparagus bed needs to be kept weed free, a task done by hand to avoid disturbing the roots below the surface. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. We have aimed to select the cream of those varieties that have been produced by the various breeding programmes in order to provide the best eating qualities, the highest yields and the longest season for our customers. The Precoce D’Argenteuil asparagus is tender and very tasty. Their graceful foliage is also quite attractive and is a feathery green color. margin:3px 17px 30px 3px; } Asparagus is seen as a luxury vegetable, with tender spears shooting through the soil in spring and early summer. Gijnlim is one of the best Asparagus varieties to grow in the UK. From Left - Ariane, Millenium, Mondeo, Pacific 2000, Pacific Purple, Stewart Purple, Tesco's un-named!!! Asparagus plants will crop for about 20 years after planting, so it really is worth preparing the ground in advance of delivery. They have a delicious flavor and have deep-green spears with tips of a light purple. Because of this, it is not normally necessary to wear gloves when you’re picking wild asparagus plants. Asparagus is a spear-like vegetable that is a member of the lily family. box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(34, 25, 25, 0.4); earlier than many other types of asparagus. It’s popular in ancient Egypt as evidenced by a number of tombs with walls decorated with a bunch of asparaguses. The Mary Washington asparagus is an heirloom variety that is a perennial plant and it does best in growing zones 3-8. It’s typically in season in the UK from April until June, traditionally starting 23 April (St George’s Day) and ending on the summer solstice in June. Be sure to prepare your permanent asparagus bed in advance, so that you can plant the asparagus crowns without delay. The Frenchmen also cultivated asparagus in their greenhouses to ensure its year-round supply since it’s King Louis XIV’s favorite type of food. It is one of the best as far as disease resistance is concerned, resisting aphids particularly well. For more than one hundred years, the Mary Washington type of asparagus has been very popular in the United States. OBLBR Ltd. All Rights Reserved. White Asparagus. It is not fussy about the soil type as long as it is well drained. It can grow in both cool and warm climates as long as it is exposed to at least six hours of sunlight a day and it is drought-tolerant. Green asparagus is inarguably the most common type of asparagus found in most supermarket produce departments. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It is a sturdy plant that produces large crops and it is a very tasty vegetable that can be harvested early. Some gardeners might splutter, "Planting It is pale green in color and very resistant to various diseases. All male varieties are preferred as they devote all their energy to growing spears rather than producing seed. Left to right - Pacific Purple, Pacific 2000 and Mondeo . Purple Passion is the most common variety. White asparagus is grown in the dark, which is why it doesn’t turn green. Harvest Asparagus in 3 weeks. With a distinct flavor and tenderness, this type of asparagus is also great if you need to freeze it for any reason. There are also differences in colour, from the widely seen green spears, to the less common purple varieties. Purple asparagus produces thick, purple spears that are generally sweeter and more tender than varieties of green asparagus. It usually grows between seven and nine inches long and is very meaty and tasty. Best if grown in zones 3-10, this type of asparagus does well even in cold climates and is high in vitamins A, B6, and C. The Jersey Supreme, a fairly new variety, is also resistant to disease and produces a little earlier than the Knight or Giant does. All orders are despatched in one delivery. It also tends to grow larger crops the older it is; by the fourth season, you should see a very large and full crop. Asparagus Mondeo Early. The plant itself can grow up to five feet tall while the asparagus itself can get to roughly nine inches in length. Consisting of both male and female plants, the Purple Passion asparagus actually gets lighter in color when you cook it. This type of asparagus is especially popular in Europe, where it originated. Gardening Asparagus is low maintenance. It has dark-green spears with a little bit of purple on the bud scales and it has an especially high tolerance to fusarium. Asparagus varieties differ in harvest time, with some varieties ready for picking in early April, and others available in June and early July. All are available from Crocus . The Viking KB3 asparagus is a fairly new variety and combines both male and female plants. British asparagus is a hero vegetable. With a smooth appearance and nice, even stalks, this type of asparagus is dark green in color and does best in either warm or cool climates. When you cook it, the color becomes even brighter and greener and its texture is crisp yet tender. The UC 157 asparagus is hybrid asparagus that does very well in warmer climates. Asparagus grows on most soil types provided they are well drained. Very resistant to both rust and fusarium, the Apollo asparagus is great for a variety of purposes, including freezing, serving fresh, and processing. They usually mature in late spring in most climates and they do best if you live in zones 4-6. Because of this and a few other factors, white asparagus can be quite expensive — up to double the amount you pay for other types of asparagus — and it is actually considered a delicacy in Europe. Materials and Methods One-year-old crowns were purchased from Walker Brothers Plant Company and transplanted on May 31, 2011, at the UK Horticulture Research Farm in Lexington. It is longer and thinner than its cultivated cousins and has a more delicate taste as well. ul.art-contest p {margin:15px;color: #999999;} The tender spears are delicious when lightly steamed as a side dish or added to salads. ul.art-contest {clear:both;}. However, the edible stalks are harvest… Their stalks are medium to large in diameter and they have tints of purple at the very tips. It is also a distant cousin of the onion and considered a part of the lilaceae family. Eight varieties of asparagus are being grown in a long-term replicated trial to assess their yields under Central Kentucky growing conditions. Analytics cookies help to improve the website by providing anonymous data on how the website is being used. Crops are harvested from late February to June, with April being the prime month and high season for asparagus. It’s readily available, quick to cook and versatile as well as being healthy. Blackmoor Nursery is one of very few Nurseries in the UK offering gardeners the opportunity to buy Asparagus crowns direct from our Nursery. Moving on from the plant’s rich history, we enter into its interesting varieties – which happen to tie in some of its fascinating background as well. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The stalks themselves grow to approximately ten inches long and they are very meaty and yummy. Asparagus can now be found all over the world. For the longest harvest period, selecting a range of asparagus types is required, as the cropping period for a single type is relatively short at 4 to 8 weeks. Eventually Jamie identified 'Mondeo’ (available … Take time to make a cozy bed. The stalks shoot up from the crown of the plant and grow into fern-like leaves when they are allowed to develop. They also prefer full or partial sun. The best varieties of asparagus are those that have been bred and selected in Northern Europe and are well adapted to our climate. ul.art-contest p a {color:#333333;} It is also a very tender type of asparagus, much more so than its white and green counterparts, in part because of its lower fiber content. It is also a very sturdy type of asparagus. In addition, the way asparagus is separated into different varieties sets it apart from most other vegetables. Crowns thrive in nutritious, but light, sandy soils. Supplied as 1 year old crowns. float:left; Buy our Astounding Asparagus full season mix of all three products below. Types of Asparagus . The only difference between green and white asparagus is the color because white asparagus has the same taste and texture as green asparagus, provided that it is the same or a similar variety. White asparagus is not a variety but a type of asparagus resulting from growing the plant without light. These cookies help us provide website visitors with relevant ads and promotions. Unusually for a vegetable, asparagus is a perennial plant, that once established can provide a harvest for 15 years or more. It is also a great choice if your soil is sandy. In addition, the Purple Passion asparagus is one of the most tender and tastiest types of asparagus, much more so than many of the green varieties, which is one of the reasons why it is great for both salads and for cooking. Backlim (F1) Connover’s Colossal; Gijnlim (F1) Jersey Knight (F1) Lucullus (F1) Pacific Purple (F1) Planting asparagus. The Jersey Knight is resistant to many diseases including rust, crown rot, and fusarium wilt, among others. It also does best in growing zones 5-8. Asparagus is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the Asparagaceae family. Asparagus is planted as 1 year old crowns, spaced 30 centimetres apart and 45 centimetres between rows. Currently Unavailable . There are also differences in colour, from the widely seen green spears, to the less common purple varieties. Be sure to think carefully about which variety or range of varieties will suit your growing conditions best if you are thinking of planting an asparagus bed. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. £1.44 each (9 plants) Mondeo F1 - early. The majority of asparagus is green in colour, but you can also get white and purple varieties too. Purple asparagus spears usually lose their color when cooked for very long. Their spears are very thick and they are a perennial plant so you can enjoy them for many years to come. Click “Accept” to consent to ALL cookies, or visit Cookie Settings to change. It became popular in France and it has a whitish-green color with hints of light pink throughout. Asparagus crowns despatch time: Only between April and May as this is the best time to plant crowns. It can grow in most types of climates and it can be harvested once the stalks are pencil-thin. The different varieties vary in characteristics such as early or later arriving, tolerance of particular climates, disease tolerance, sweetness, tenderness etc. Tipped as one of the best-tasting strains in recent UK trials, Mondeo is an all-male variety that is more tolerant of heavier soils. © 2020 Allotment Book. In heavy soils, asparagus is better grown in raised beds or large containers. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It is light green with rosy pink tips and it is an heirloom variety with a very sweet taste. Asparagus varieties differ in harvest time, with some varieties ready for picking in early April, and others available in June and early July. Erasmus is a 100% male, purple asparagus and excellently suitable for cultivation in Northern, Central and Southern Europe. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. After this point, any further asparagus spears should be allowed to mature, to give the plants energy for the following year's harvest. However, the plants produce less numbers of spears. Why buy 3 Year Asparagus roots? List of Asparagus Varieties and Their Types While there are only 3 types of asparagus, green, purple and white, there are a handful of varieties to choose from. It has high levels of anthocyanin, which is an antioxidant, giving it its purple color. Buy Now opacity:1; As this is a long-term crop, prepare the soil well before planting in March or April. Our asparagus plants are highly productive, one-year-old, large-graded crowns grown in managed nursery conditions; All-male hybrids resistant to fusarium crown rot, asparagus rust and other diseases. This is a short growing varieties which reaches a maximum height of 1.5m (5ft) and is easily capable of growing without support in most conditions. } Buy Asparagus crowns plant enjoy the … The ancient Greek doctor, Hippocrates, used the plant to treat diarrhea and pains of the urethra while another Greek doctor, Dioscorides, recommended it to treat kidney problems, sciatica, and jaundice. Varieties. Information includes the number of visitors, most popular pages, and user journeys through the site. The recent move towards greater ‘plant based’ diets and year round availability of asparagus in retail outlets for a modest price has fuelled greater popularity and demand for this versatile vegetable. Instead, choose fresh ground to avoid build-up of diseases. The Jersey Giant is hardy and does well in most climates, including chilly and cool ones. Asparagus plants grow tall but provide little leaf cover to the soil, giving the opportunity for weeds to germinate at their base. In addition, because it tends to have more sugar than other varieties of asparagus, it is also much sweeter in taste. The fastest Roman athletes were known to carry asparagus toward the Alps to preserve them while Emperor Augustus created the so-called Asparagus Fleet for bringing the best asparagus finds to Rome.