Anyone growing Asparagus?

[somo]

Trying to collect as much info as possible before maybe planting a rai or two.

Anyone with experience and knowledge please pass it on here.

Thanks

[JungleBiker]

I believe this Japanese company is the largest grower of asparagus in Thailand. They also have a large asparagus farm in Laos that I visited recently. 

http://www.taniyamasiam.com/product.php#asparagus 

[djayz]

Hello Somo! I'm thinking of growing some asparagus myself up in Korat purely for personal use, eventually selling small quantities of excess vegetable. Definitely not thinking commercial here.

 

I was wondering have you planted any since starting this thread last December? If so, may I ask how have you fared so far? What part of the country are you living in? Have you experienced any problems with this crop? 

 

Thanking you in advance for any information you share. 

 

Best regards

[zzaa09]

43 minutes ago, djayz said:

Hello Somo! I'm thinking of growing some asparagus myself up in Korat purely for personal use, eventually selling small quantities of excess vegetable. Definitely not thinking commercial here.

 

I was wondering have you planted any since starting this thread last December? If so, may I ask how have you fared so far? What part of the country are you living in? Have you experienced any problems with this crop? 

 

Thanking you in advance for any information you share. 

 

Best regards

Yes, as asparagus goes - altitude and sub-climate is most particularly vital.

[noogaloo]

i am living in Korat and i planted a dozen  asparagus seeds 18 months ago and half have grown into good crowns and i hope to start harvesting enough for my occasional meal this coming season i planted them in tubs because i was informed that almost all asparagus crops in Thailand had been wiped out due to a fungal epidemic and indeed a local grower lost all his crop about 3 years ago

[djayz]

45 minutes ago, noogaloo said:

i am living in Korat and i planted a dozen  asparagus seeds 18 months ago and half have grown into good crowns and i hope to start harvesting enough for my occasional meal this coming season i planted them in tubs because i was informed that almost all asparagus crops in Thailand had been wiped out due to a fungal epidemic and indeed a local grower lost all his crop about 3 years ago

Thanks. That's music to my ears. I also live in Korat, between Chokchai and Nongbunmak.  

I love asparagus so I'll be delighted if I can get a few growing here. 

Thanks again! 

[Thian]

I even bought white asparagus from the royal project farms...They are good but not as good as in Europe.

 

[tonray]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

I even bought white asparagus from the royal project farms...They are good but not as good as in Europe.

 

I used to work at Rutgers University (NJ USA) on a project to re-establish the asparagus industry after a fungal disease decimated the crop in the 70s and 80s. White asparagus (as I found out) is just green asparagus that has soil mounded over it before cutting so the chlorophyll (what makes it green) never develops. Kept from the sun it stays white.

 

You can increase your chances of success with asparagus by dipping the crowns in a fungicide solution (benlate ?) before planting and waiting at least 2 years before cutting the stalks for consumption. During that initial 2 year period, let the stalks mature until left about 2 months at 5 feet tall, then cut back to about an inch above the crown to stimulate new growth. This will ensure healthy and strong crowns underground.

 

I never worked with asparagus in an all year round warm climate so it was an easy seasonal thing to determine when to cut the stalks in that first 2 years. After 4 or 5 years you should select the healthiest plants (highest yielders and best foliage) and let them grow out one last time to build crown. After cutting stalks, crowns can be dug up and divided into 2 (or 3) new crowns for replanting, starting the cycle over again.

 

Good luck.

[djayz]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

I used to work at Rutgers University (NJ USA) on a project to re-establish the asparagus industry after a fungal disease decimated the crop in the 70s and 80s. White asparagus (as I found out) is just green asparagus that has soil mounded over it before cutting so the chlorophyll (what makes it green) never develops. Kept from the sun it stays white.

 

You can increase your chances of success with asparagus by dipping the crowns in a fungicide solution (benlate ?) before planting and waiting at least 2 years before cutting the stalks for consumption. During that initial 2 year period, let the stalks mature until left about 2 months at 5 feet tall, then cut back to about an inch above the crown to stimulate new growth. This will ensure healthy and strong crowns underground.

 

I never worked with asparagus in an all year round warm climate so it was an easy seasonal thing to determine when to cut the stalks in that first 2 years. After 4 or 5 years you should select the healthiest plants (highest yielders and best foliage) and let them grow out one last time to build crown. After cutting stalks, crowns can be dug up and divided into 2 (or 3) new crowns for replanting, starting the cycle over again.

 

Good luck.

Great information! Thanks for sharing. Much appreciate it. 

[phuketsub]

I finally found some seeds, but now I found out that they take 10 years to produce fruit!

 

[djayz]

7 hours ago, phuketsub said:

I finally found some seeds, but now I found out that they take 10 years to produce fruit!

 

I'm no expert, but from what I've read so far, it takes about 3-5 years. 10 strikes me as being very long. 

[farmerjo]

There's a few people down the road doing it.

Will take a picture next time i go past.

There set up with mulch and drip irrigation and been going maybe 10 months.(plants 2 feet high)

Will be interest to see if they stand the test of time,Thai's are renowned for chopping and changing crops.

[farmerjo]

2 plots across the road from each other.

 

Edited September 4, 2017 by farmerjo

[Thian]

I'm no expert but i'll write what i have seen while buying fresh white asparagus in W-Europe.

 

First the farmers make  long mounds with the tractor and the plants grow in the mounds. When they are ripe to pick the pickers have to dig in the mound to get the white ones out....they pick them very early in the morning cause they'll be green in the afternoon if they get sunlight.

 

Also i never knew the plants were so old, we have frost in winter and i thought they plant them every year again, but i might be wrong with that.

 

The white ones have never seen sunlight since they have always been underground in that mound.

 

Picking (read digging) them is hard work, it's what makes them expensive. After digging the hole is closed again, all by hand.

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2017 by Thian