Southland Climate Suits Asparagus
QUESTION: My wife likes asparagus, and I was wondering if we can grow it in our area. Do you have any “tips”?
ANSWER: Good pun. Asparagus, which grows beautifully here, has been a favorite cultivated vegetable for more than 2,000 years. And plantings of asparagus can remain productive for many decades. Normally we plant “crowns” (year-old plants), which saves a year over starting from seed and allows for proper positioning and spacing. Dig trenches about 8 inches deep and a foot wide. If you plant several rows, space them 4 to 5 feet apart, since the roots spread out quite a bit. Put compost or aged manure in the bottom of the trench and cover it with an inch of loose soil.
Set the crowns about 18 inches apart in the row, fanning out the roots in a flat circle; cover them with 2 inches of soil. As shoots come up, gradually fill in the trench.
For best production and highest quality, feed the plants twice a year--once before growth emerges in springtime and then again when harvesting ends. Keep the ground continuously moist during the growing season.
Do not harvest any spears the first year. The next year cut off a few from each crown. Thereafter, you should be able to cut shoots for 8-10 weeks; stop cutting when new spears become thin and spindly. Then let the fern-like stalks grow through spring and summer to replenish the roots for the next year’s crop. These stalks will die back in winter; cut them off to the ground at that time.
Unfortunately it may be hard to find asparagus crowns for sale now. They are normally available from late November through January. So you may need to wait, preparing your soil in the meantime; or you could plant seeds now, then dig them up as crowns and replant them next year.
Pomegranate Is Taking Over Side of House
Q: Our pomegranate tree (which we have never pruned) has spread out like a giant fountain on the side of the house, and we can no longer get by it very well. We love the fruit and the syrup we make from it. Is there a way to prune it so we don’t lose too much fruit? Do we need to spray it with anything or cut out some of the fruit to make the rest bigger?
A: You’re lucky. Pomegranates produce their fruit on new growth. They are the kind of plant that will produce good crops whether you prune them or not. You may cut back the bush as much as you want without any significant loss of flowers or fruit. Pomegranates normally have no pests or diseases that attack them; hence, no spraying is necessary.
They also do not respond much to thinning, so you do not need to remove any of the young fruits to make the rest grow bigger. The only other thing you may need to consider is watering. Although pomegranates are pretty drought tolerant, the fruit will crack and split if the soil dries and then is watered. So keep the ground uniformly moist to reduce splitting of the fruits.
