Male asparagus stalks
Why doesn’t the asparagus plant in the photo have red berries?
The answer is simple: it’s a male plant. Look at the ground level and notice the very large spears, which many people prefer.
Asparagus is one of the first spring crops and is high in vitamins, calcium, and iron. Homegrown spears are more tender than store bought.
It’s the female plant with slender stems that grows the small, red berries. More female plants will grow from the fallen berries, causing overcrowding and smaller spears. The blossoms on a male plant are larger than the female. They have six stamens and one seedless pistil.
If you want to grow asparagus with large, thick spears, simply plant only male seeds, available at seed houses. Plants grown from seed are healthier than transplanted crowns.
The Jersey varieties (Giant, Knight, and Supreme) produce all male plants.
By freezing the seeds for 24 hours, they germinate easily for transplanting. Germinate with bottom heat of 24 Celsius in late February or early March. Transplant into a trench 30cm wide and 15cm deep, covering the stems as they grow.
To get a healthy, vigorous asparagus bed, wait until the third year before harvesting. After the bed has become well established, harvesting should be terminated before the end of June.
To prepare the asparagus patch for the following year, run the riding lawn mower over the plants in the fall. Before growth begins in the spring, add 2 kg. of 15-15-15 fertilizer per 10 square metres.
Although male plants will not self reproduce by seeds, as their root system grows, more large, tender spears will appear each spring.
The author concedes that there are those who prefer eating the thinner spears.
Lester C. Fretz, M.Sc., is a member of the Dunnville Horticulture Society.
