trying to dig up an asparagus pile of crowns for replanting
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
9 am
Before he started his work day, I asked if Willem would help me for a few minutes. He agreed.
So he dug up my asparagus clump for me, or at least he removed four inches of soil, roots and sod from the top of one asparagus cluster. I had my cushions, so I sat down and leaned on them while I carefully removed the soil with my fingers until I found the roots of the asparagus crowns.
I did a Nancy Today about it. Actually I think I did about six of them as I worked away at it.
Much of the roots were flimsy and hollow but had little live tiny rootlets coming off them, white ones.
I separated the roots from the top of the pile, finding many dead ones. They were easy to separate after I’d cleared the soil away from between them.
It took a lot of work, with more digging at the edges of the circle to enlarge it and be able to dig under the edge of the crown root pile.
I got distracted into the roots beside the pile, the ones from the next clump which no longer send up any asparagus shoots at all. (which I guess I didn’t know existed, either!)
I ended up taking four inches of weed roots off the top of four clumps of asparagus and removing the old stalks down to the crowns, as well as the new shoots on some.
I feel quite satisfied that I have salvaged some of these clusters. I’ll have to decide if I'm going to do anymore to them or just put the soil back on up to the level of the ground. For now everything is well covered up.
I did something about them! YES!
9 am
Before he started his work day, I asked if Willem would help me for a few minutes. He agreed.
So he dug up my asparagus clump for me, or at least he removed four inches of soil, roots and sod from the top of one asparagus cluster. I had my cushions, so I sat down and leaned on them while I carefully removed the soil with my fingers until I found the roots of the asparagus crowns.
I did a Nancy Today about it. Actually I think I did about six of them as I worked away at it.
Much of the roots were flimsy and hollow but had little live tiny rootlets coming off them, white ones.
I separated the roots from the top of the pile, finding many dead ones. They were easy to separate after I’d cleared the soil away from between them.
It took a lot of work, with more digging at the edges of the circle to enlarge it and be able to dig under the edge of the crown root pile.
I got distracted into the roots beside the pile, the ones from the next clump which no longer send up any asparagus shoots at all. (which I guess I didn’t know existed, either!)
I ended up taking four inches of weed roots off the top of four clumps of asparagus and removing the old stalks down to the crowns, as well as the new shoots on some.
I feel quite satisfied that I have salvaged some of these clusters. I’ll have to decide if I'm going to do anymore to them or just put the soil back on up to the level of the ground. For now everything is well covered up.
I did something about them! YES!