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beesneeds

Asparagus seedling help needed

11 years ago

So I'm growing Mary Washington from seed this year- I had gotten the seen in a swap :) So far I have 40 out of 54 pots that are growing up.


Now I need some help- some of my tallest seedlings are starting to fall over because they are getting tall. Should I transplant them deeper into pots, like how you transplant tomatoes deeper? I can't find any information about if you can/should transplant deeper or not. Or should I try using stakes to help keep them upright?

I'm still at least a couple weeks out from moving them to a new spot, but I want to know what I need to do now about them getting so tall.

The pots they are in right now are toilet paper tubes, so I can transplant them without disturbing the roots too much just by peeling off the tube- I was thinking of transplanting them into large styrofoam coffee cups or red solo cups.


Thanks for any help folks can give- there's lots of info about crowns, but not a lot about seedlings.

Comments (5)

  • 11 years ago

    This is a full quote from Johnny's Seeds:

    CULTURE:
    Asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable crop. With proper site
    selection, preparation, and care, it can thrive for 15 years or more.
    Asparagus prefers well-drained, fertile soil with a pH of 7.0 in full
    sun or part shade. Soil testing and bed preparation should be completed
    in the season prior to planting. May not perform well in warmer areas
    such as TX, MS, GA, LA, AL, or FL, as it may not become dormant, which
    is needed to prevent frost/freeze damage to crowns in winter months.

    GROWING FROM SEEDS:
    Sow seeds indoors 12-14 weeks before desired transplant date. Sow 1
    seed per 2" cell, ½-¾" deep. Germinate at 75-80°F (23-27°C) day, 65°F
    (18°C) night. Fertilize moderately as needed. After last frost, plant
    seedlings similarly to crowns, but use W-shaped furrow. Plant the
    seedlings in the low middle point of the W to ensure better drainage.
    Gradually fill in furrow as plants grow.

    PLANTING CROWNS:
    Crowns can be planted about 3-4 weeks prior to last average frost date.
    In a furrow 5-8" deep (shallower for heavy soils), 12" wide, place
    crowns with buds up and roots spread out, 8-14" apart in row (closer
    spacing creates more slender spears), 3-6' between rows. Cover crowns
    with 2-3" of soil at planting. As spears grow, gradually fill in furrow.
    Use caution when cultivating to avoid damaging crowns. Keep bed free of
    weeds (straw or leaf mulch works well) and irrigate regularly during
    establishment. Allow "ferns" to grow – do not cut until they senesce in
    the fall. Add compost or aged manure to the beds each fall or early
    spring.


  • 11 years ago

    Bees, tall and falling over sounds like inadequate light. What kind of light do you have your seedings in?

  • PRO
    11 years ago

    They are getting inadequate light- or at least they are getting no artificial light. I lost my indoor grow setup space when I moved some family in, so I'm just using my south facing bay window. I've used this window in the past for other seedlings with no problems for late March starts- But I think with how early I started the asparagus and with the weather and day length not being up to snuff in Feb, that helped made a light difference that's inadequate.

    But there's no help for that now, and they are tall. That's why I was wondering if I could transplant them deep like tomatoes or use stakes to stabilize them till I can get them outdoors.

  • 5 years ago

    I know this is an old thread, but I’m experiencing the same exact scenario. Did your seedlings survive?

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    Wow, I had forgotten about this thread.

    So yes, a lot of them did survive. I ended up with around 36 of them in gallon pots. And of those I have around 20-24 of them still in their pots. Or at least did during cleanup last fall. They were supposed to be planted out already, but with some injuries and illness that planting got put on back burner.

    I'm much recovered and will have some additional help setting them out this spring. Plan is to put them into the ground in an area out back. Not sure where, will have to see once the winter clears off and I can see what's already growing out there.

    I can't remember for sure, I would have to really dig back through notes to see if I noted how I did it. But I probably did repot them from the TP tubes into solo cups for a while, then repotted again into the gallon pots.

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