asparagus spacing
I am about to have a go at growing asparagus. I intned to buy the plants and I would like to know what spacing is recommended. There is a BBC short video on their web page where the recommnedation is 1 metre between plants. The textbook I have recommends 18 inches. Obvioully this is quite a diversion of views. I need to know the spacing before deciding on how many plants to buy. I intend to buy a variety known as colossus. I have a raised be ready for them. Thanks.
The plants need to be planted deep 8" (20cm) make a hole big enough not to curl the roots allow them to spread out , in a bed they can be planted 6" (15cm)between plants but space out the row in the bed about 2' (60cm) if the soil is heavy incorporate some sharp sand in the bed, and apply a general fertilizer Blood/Bone , Some people will only just cover the crown and earth up as the asparagus grows to help with the astablishment of the plant in the first year.
Asparagus are a hungry plant and will require manure as a mulch over the top of the bed, as much as you can give them,
We have had our bed in for 4 years now and we planted our crowns on a ridge in a prepared trench 18 inchs apart they have grown well and we now get a good crop we top up the bed in the auturm with fresh compost mixed with a fertizer Growmore also keep the weeds down we will also be sliting some of the crowns to extend our bed.
hope this helps