Asparagus Continuity Collection

Asparagus Crowns - Continuity Collection

An early, medium and late variety, this collection has something for everyone!

Why pay expensive prices for this luxury item when you can grow your own in the same area as a small shed! Full growing instructions provided. The collection contains 30 crowns (10 of each variety):

Backlim - RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. This asparagus is a delicious flavour, good yields, and disease resistance. A late variety. Harvest April-June. Height 100-150cm (39-59"); spread 50-60cm (20-24").

Guelph Millennium - This is a late-season variety, bred in Canada. This asparagus plant is at its best in the UK during the month of June. Now considered to be the best late-season cultivar, it's an All-Male hybrid, boasting excellent spear and head quality, combined with fantastic yield.

Gijnlim - A consistent top performer in recent trials, out-yielding others by up to 25%. It's early too, giving the first succulent tasty spears in mid to late April and continuing to crop heavily until mid-June. It is an 'all-male' hybrid, forming no seeds which means all its energies go into spear production. Height 100-150cm (39-59").

Caring for your Continuity Collection

Asparagus remains productive for up to 20 years, and established beds can be cut from the first spears until mid-late June (after which the attractive ferns should be left to grow). We supply one-year-old crowns, grown in East Anglia, which can be picked the year after planting. Allow 30-40cm (12-18") between crowns. Full growing instructions provided.

Prepare permanent asparagus beds well in advance of receiving your order so that the crowns can be planted without delay. Choose a sheltered position in full sun. Asparagus beds should be richly fertile and well drained. Remove all weeds, and incorporate plenty of well rotted manure or garden compost into the soil to improve soil structure and fertility. On cold, wet soils the addition of sharp sand or grit will help to improve drainage.

Dig long trenches, 20cm (10") deep by 30cm (12") wide, and fill the bottom of the trench with 7cm (3") of well rotted manure or garden compost. Mound up soil on top of the manure to form a ridge along the length of the trench and place the asparagus crowns on top of ridge with their roots draped over the edge of the ridge at a distance of 45cm (18") apart. Cover the crowns with 7cm (3") of soil and firm them into their positions.