THE FINE ART OF GROWING (AND COOKING) ASPARAGUS

Enlarge Image Image Gallery INSET, LEFT: Asparagus roots are planted in clusters about a foot apart. INSET, RIGHT: Feathery foliage appears once the firstyear plants go to seed, but harvesting doesn't begin until the second season. BELOW: The sweet, tender spears of Asparagus officinalis.

Spring is on its way . . . and many a gardener's fancy turns to thoughts of good eating!

Linda Slater

Asparagus(Asparagus officinalis) has always been one of my favorite vegetables, but until I started cultivating it myself, I had no idea how delicious the tender spears could be. Garden-grown (just picked or home-frozen) asparagus provides an experience in taste that just can't be matched by canned or even store-bought fresh produce. And the tasty plant is nutritious, too. As was pointed out in MOTHER NO. 60 (page 112), 100 grams of asparagus will supply 2.2 grams of protein, 900 units of vitamin A, and only 0.2 grams of fat . . . while adding a mere 20 calories to your daily total.

Asparagus has been cultivated since the days of the Roman Republic, when it was considered a delicacy. Later, the French grew the stalks in primitive hotbeds, and honored them in still-life paintings. Eventually, asparagus was brought to America and became popular both as a vegetable and, you may be surprised to learn, as a medicinal herb (it was believed to be a cure for jaundice).

There are a number of popular commercial strains of asparagus available, the most common of which are the Washington varieties. The Mary Washington, which I grow, is both prolific and hardy in my part of Montana. And it would probably grow even better in a somewhat less severe climate, although it does require a dormant period during winter months and thus flourishes only when dormancy is induced . . . either naturally—by cold weather—or artificially.

I set out my Mary Washington roots in April . . . choosing a spot where they'd get several hours of sun daily and where I was pretty sure they wouldn't be disturbed by another project in the future, since I wanted to get a lifetime of picking from the bed. For my first planting, I dug a 12-foot trench, eight inches deep, and spread 20 pounds of ground limestone and 10 pounds of phosphate rock in the bottom of the ditch . . . followed by a five-inch layer of compost and manure. Two inches of rich loam went on top of that. Next—after giving the plot a heavy watering—I planted a dozen clusters of roots, spacing them about a foot apart . . . and then, each time I weeded during the next few weeks, added fine compost and good soil until the trench was filled.

As you may already know, asparagus shouldn't be picked during its first year . . . but the rewards of owning an established bed make the waiting worthwhile. I mulched my asparagus well that first fall, with compost and still more ma nure. Then, the following spring, I watered the bed heavily, spread additional compost, and hand-plucked the early weeds that had cropped up. (Some people let geese take care of the weeding, but—if the idea appeals to you—make sure the honkers are in their pen when the first green asparagus tips show themselves!)

In Montana, the first spears begin to appear in late May or early June. Let the shoots develop to about six inches before you pick any . . . and, after that, keep a close eye on the bed in order to garner the stalks before they go to seed. During that initial harvest season, it's best to exercise a little self-discipline: Allow yourself only two weeks of feasting, and then let the rest of the plants mature. The second time around—and in subsequent years—they can be gathered over a sixweek season.

Generally, an established plot will require little attention. It may occasionally face minor insect problems, but the worst threat to your plants will likely be a disease called asparagus rust. The Mary Washington strain is fairly resistant to this ailment, although it will sometimes be attacked if it's grown in areas that are frequently damp. (For this reason, as well as because the region has insufficient cold weather, asparagus doesn't often do well in southern Florida or along the Gulf Coast.)