TopVeg – growing veg,fruit&herbs

Spring care of the asparagus bed involves weeding and feeding.

Weeding:

• spray the asparagus bed with glyphosate (Roundup) in early spring (as long as no asparagus have emerged).
• after a few days, when all weeds are dead, cover the bed with mulch to stop more weeds growing.
• keep the bed weed free by hand weeding – do not hoe because asparagus are shallow rooting.

Feeding:

• Feed asparagus with a general purpose fertiliser in mid-March

fresh-asparagus

Giving the asparagus bed proper care in the spring will allow the asparagus to fruit to its full potential.

asparagus-fern

To grow good Asparagus the soil needs to be:

• well drained – so your light soil is ideal here
• with water holding capacity – add well rotted farm yard manure – this will provide nutrients as well as hold on to the water
• pH of 6.5 to 7.5 – add lime if too acidic
• good depth – used to be grown in mounds (beds), but raised deep beds are ideal

frsh-cut-asparagus

Asparagus beds stay down for 15 or 20 years, so it is worth getting the soil right before you start.

How to cook asparagus:

• snap the asparagus at the bottom where it breaks naturally
• bring a large pan of salted water to the boil
• add the asparagus and return to the boil
• boil for two minutes

When cooked the asparagus should still have plenty of crunch.

Either:

• serve immediately, with melted butter,  or
• if serving cold,

cool in iced water

place on a cloth and refrigerate

The cooked asparagus may be reheated, after refrigerating, in a touch of butter.

Asparagus is good for you, as the nutritional value, below, shows.

plump-spear-asparagus

Asparagus is:

• low in calories
• free from fat or cholesterol
• very low in sodium (salt).

Asparagus is a good source of:

• folic acid – vitamin B9 – important in pregnancy
• potassium
• dietary fibre
• rutin – a bioflavinoid with antioxidant properties
• asparagine – an amino acid which benefits the nervous system

Asparagus Calories and Nutrition per Serving (1 Serving=1oz/28g)

Click the link for  more information on the nutritional value of asparagus.

Asparagus is best know in its green variety in the UK but can also be white, purple or multicoloured.

fresh-asparagus green

White asparagus is the norm in Switzerland.

White asparagus grows when it is  deprived of light.  Dirt is kept mounded around the emerging stalk, keeping it in the dark.  The plant cannot produce chlorophyll without light, thus there is no green colour to the stalks.  The stalks grow very fat, and do not have a tough bit at the end.

Compared to green asparagus, white asparagus is considered to be:

• slightly milder in flavour
• a bit more tender

All varieties and colours of asparagus may be used interchangeably in recipes