MARY WASHINGTON ASPARAGUS is an American heirloom takes a year or two longer to establish than the Argenteuil, but is worth the wait! Strong, thick, dark shoots with tight heads that appear from May - June. I can tell you that I have always had better results growing asparagus from seed than from crowns. And you really don't have to wait any longer than with the roots which arrive dry and need all sorts of perfect conditions to regenerate themselves. In just 2-3 years you can begin harvesting the early spears, which will be thinner than later years. A properly managed asparagus bed will serve you for up to 20 years! But only harvest a few that first season and let the rest remain to gather food for subsequent season production. 25 seeds.
ABOUT ASPARAGUS: Asparagus is a hardy perennial. It is the only common vegetable that grows wild along roadsides and railroad tracks over a large part of the country. (Remember the foraging classic by Gibbons, "Stalking The Wild Asparagus"?) Asparagus is native to the Mediterranean and was eaten by the ancient Greeks. Asparagus is nutrient-dense: high in Folic Acid and a good source of potassium, fiber, Vitamins B6, A, C and thiamin. Asparagus has no fat, no cholesterol and is low in sodium AND calories. It is one of the richest sources of rutin, a compound which strengthens capillary walls. It also contains glutathione - one of the most potent anticarcinopgens and antioxidants found. It is also delicious! Don't be alarmed when your urine has a distinctive odor after eating asparagus - this is normal and passes. Asparagus has diuretic properties so it is good for your kidneys!
GROWING TIP: A member of the Lily family, asparagus forms a crown which sends up spears for a 6-7 week period in the spring and summer. Under ideal conditions, one spear can grow 10" in a 24 hours period, so when production begins each year, check your bed daily. (It is the outdoor nighttime temperature that determines production speed.) Although establishing a good asparagus bed requires considerable work, your efforts will be rewarded. A well-planned bed can last from 20 to 30 years. For this reason, asparagus should be planted at the side or end of the garden, where it will not be disturbed by normal garden cultivation. Asparagus is one of the first vegetables ready to harvest in the spring. Asparagus seed is slow to germinate, especially in the spring. Germination is dictated by soil temperature -- so if planting in Spring you might be looking at 50+ days to germination; whereas if planting in summer (even at soil temps of 95 degrees) you might be looking at germination of 20 days. Over 95 degrees it starts slowing down again. Create your asparagus bed in a protected corner of your garden where foot traffic will be at an absolute minimum, but where you can easily access for purposes of cultivation. Till the earth deeply (to a depth of 12 - 18"), removing any rocks, twigs, etc. Heavily compost and fertilize to prepare the bed. Although asparagus does best in areas where there is a killing freeze each year, wait until danger of frost is passed to initial sow. Then direct sow to a depth of 1/2" and 6" apart and cover seed bed with a thick bed of grass cuttings until the ferns begin to appear. Be sure to keep the seed bed well weeded and the surface of the soil lightly cultivated around the emerging ferns. The roots will take two years to develop and they develop laterally, so do not disturb in your cultivation. Spears emerging the first year should be left. Only harvest a few the second. You will note that the ferns produce red berries. Do not cut down any of this growth until it turns brown in the fall - it is all part of the process by which your asparagus gathers energy to grow! By the third or fourth year, you are on your way to a generation of enjoyment!
SEED SAVING: Asparagus produces orange to reddish "berries" the stalks not harvested. Let them remain on the stalks until mid-to-late fall, then pick and let them dry indoors in a paper bag. When dry, simply gently crush the berries in your hands and winnow out the seeds.
CHERRYGAL HEIRLOOM GARDEN SEEDS & PLANTS offer hundreds of heirloom and vintage open-pollinated varieties! Most have histories dating back centuries and are tried and true producers. Some are rare, or threatened with extinction. When you grow a plant from heirloom seed and save that seed, you are participating in a practice that goes back for generations. Our grandparents and their grandparents grew these varieties. Often the seeds were prized possessions carried to the New World when they emigrated.
Ever notice how most seed catalogs require you to buy (and pay for) much more seed than you could ever possibly use in a season? If you have a budget for garden seeds, this limits your choices! Although seeds can be viable for longer than one growing season, it requires that they be stored at a consistent temperature and humidity. Few of us do this. CherryGal sizes its seed packets for the home gardener, because we know you may want to grow 5 different lettuces, or three different corns, and don’t want to have to take out a second mortgage to do so! CHERRYGAL SEEDS ARE A TREMENDOUS BARGAIN!
All seeds offered are FRESH stock, with high germination rates. Varieties are specially selected for home gardeners. If you want the flavor you remember from grandma's kitchen garden or the beauty of her cottage flowers, choose CHERRYGAL HEIRLOOM SEEDS.
ABOUT OPEN-POLLINATED SEEDS . . . All CherryGal Heirloom Seeds are heirlooms (dating at least 100 years) or vintage (mid-20th Century or older) OPEN-POLLINATED varieties. This means saved seed will be true to the parent. Don't be dazzled by the never-ending array of hybrid seeds promoted by gardening suppliers. First, seeds from that produce will not grow true to the parent -- you have to keep buying hybrid seed. Second, most hybrids are developed for market – not home -- growers with an emphasis on extended shelf life, storage and shipping qualities -- NOT flavor, texture and all those other elements that home growers seek.
All CHERRYGAL HEIRLOOM SEEDS come from reputable growers (most of them small farms) and wherever possible ORGANIC suppliers (so noted). By buying CHERRYGAL SEEDS you are supporting the growing worldwide movement of SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE and with a little practice you will be able to save even more money in the future by growing open-pollinated varieties and saving seed for next year. All my seeds are DOUBLE GERMINATION TESTED: First by my growers and then by me. Please Note: CherryGal Heirloom Seeds are guaranteed to be fresh stock, but are not guaranteed as to results (sorry - we wish we could, but there are too many variables in gardening) so please do not ask to return. However, we think you will be pleased and would like to hear about your gardening success!
SHIPPING: I endeavor to ship my seeds as quickly as possible - usually within 24 - 48 hours. If there is a need for more time, you will be advised at time of purchase and shipped as soon as possible. In the event an item becomes unavailable or temporarily out of stock I will offer you a chance to substitute another selection or refund you immediately. I package my seeds for shipping in a manner appropriate to the amount and type of seed - larger orders and larger seeds require more packaging. I also combine multiple orders of the same seed variety, where practical, in one envelope unless you request otherwise. This is an ecological measure, not a cost-saving one. Whether you choose first class mail or priority shipping, your seeds will ship using a delivery confirmation number which will be supplied to you.
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