Planting Asparagus in South Carolina
Permaculture technically means regenerative agriculture. In layman’s terms, it means to plant once and continue to reap the benefits for years to come. Asparagus fits this bill and February is a great month to set out your asparagus roots..
I am so excited to be able to offer Green Jersey Night and Super Sweet Purple one-year asparagus roots, here at Sal’s.
It is important to get one-year roots because you cannot begin to harvest your asparagus until it is three to four years old. You can harvest lightly the third year. The fourth year is when it really takes off.
Your patience will pay off in an abundance of harvests for years to come.
The plant itself is quite exotic and will bring an air of the dramatic to any garden or landscape. The bees love to hang out and buzz around the fern foliage. Deer usually will not dine on them, so you shouldn’t need to worry.
In South Carolina, asparagus bare roots should be planted in February or March. You want the roots to slowly come to life.
Asparagus prefers well drained, loose soil, however, with a few amendments, it will also do well in clay. To plant in clay, mix in some sand and compost. You can also mix in some leaves. As the leaves break down, they will add back to the soil.
To plant, dig a trench around five inches deep. Gently spread out your roots in the bottom of your trench. Your roots should be planted eighteen inches apart. Cover up all but the very top of the crown stem. As it warms up and your asparagus starts to grow, add more soil around the stem.
Asparagus can handle droughts and heat, but make sure you baby them a little for the first summer. Water and mulch are needed to make them really take off. Keep the area free from weeds.
A monthly covering with a compost, like Black Kow, Mushroom, Organic Cock-a-Doodle Poo (chicken compost made right here in South Carolina- 100% Organic Humus derived by composting poultry manure) will help give your plants a steady supply of nutrients. Be sure to add in some earthworm castings. Sal’s carries all the mentioned composts at a great price. We sell it in bulk too.
Keep it Local. We love to answer questions so come on by. We are also a South Carolina Certified Grower and Certified Roadside Stand.
Come down and get your roots. You can also order online. We have seed potatoes and all your spring seed in.
Sal’s is always big on education. We don’t just sell you seed. We take the time to tell you how to plant it. We even have classes and we bring out some local growers to help you with your growing needs. Be sure to subscribe to our website and like us on Facebook. Call or text anytime. 803-786-6546. We are located in Columbia, SC and we also ship.
Now, Let’s Get Growing South Carolina.
A special thank you to Seven Oaks Plant Shop, Reese’s, Fabel Farms, Crazy Chic Heritage Farms, Cock-a-Doodle Poo, Gypsy Wind Farms, Coffeecat Boutique, Blythewood Florist, Up On Cedar Knoll, Doko Farm and all our awesome South Carolina Farms and Businesses. They all are a wealth of knowledge. Do you want to go to a box store where they tell you that you may lose half your chicks? Or do you want to go to a place like Crazy Chic Heritage Farms and learn how to raise them? You can find these businesses on Facebook. Give them a shout.
