Asparagus

Fresh and Tender Year After Year
Plant in early spring on well-drained soil that will encourage a good root development. Plant the crowns in a shallow trench about 6 inches deep and cover with 2 inches of loose soil. After the shoots emerge keep putting soil around them until trench is level again. Take no cutting the first summer, and only one cutting the 2nd year.

Plant 12" to 16" apart in the row and leave room between rows to cultivate properly. Every season, when cuttings are over, apply a fertilizer to supply nitrogen for good regrowth of the plants. Approximately 10 lbs. per 100 foot of row for fertilizer similar to 10-10-10 (500 lbs. per acre) is sufficient. WATER PLANTS WELL AFTER PLANTING. After harvest asparagus must be completely dormant before mowing. Mow late winter or early spring.

50 to 100 roots will supply an average family. To can and freeze plan on 250 roots. Asparagus is a very easy garden crop to grow and very healthy to enjoy freezer fresh throughout the year.

For commercial growers plants needed are 8,700 per acre. Plant rows 5 ft. apart for air circulation and to prevent diseases.

Jersey Knight
This all-male hybrid has many of the same fine characteristics as the Jersey Giant. High productivity, Fusarium tolerance and rust resistance. It does well where soils are heavier and contain more clay. It offers growers a wide range of adaptability. In commercial fields it has proven to be one of the highest yielders.

Jersey Giant
(NJ56 x JN22-8) Patented. Jersey Giant is the first all-male asparagus hybrid released by Rutgers University, New Jersey. These plants are highly productive and very vigorous. This new variety is widely adapted and excellent yields are being reported from Washington State eastward to New England and south to the Carolinas. It is resistant to rust and tolerant to Fusarium root and crown rot. The purple bracted spears are large and a very attractive green.

Mary Washington
This is the standard variety for home or commercial planting. It is disease resistant and heavy yielding of tender, flavorful shoots. This variety will produce an abundance of shoots. (A Viking strain.)

Purple Passion
Purple Passion has many similar characteristics to green asparagus but offers something new for the asparagus connoisseur. The spears produced have several qualities which make it quite different than common green asparagus. The deep-burgundy coloration produced in these spears is most striking. This variety has a 20% higher sugar content and is often eaten raw. Some upscale restaurants garnish salads with Purple Passion. When cooked, the sweetness gives this asparagus a mild, nutty flavor. The spears are generally larger and much more tender than its green counterpart. The vascular bundles have less lignin per spear which makes the spears less stringy. This also allows the cook to use the whole spear and not waste the bottom. Purple Passion is truly a unique new vegetable which has exceptional qualities that put it in a class by itself. It should pique the imagination of any world-class chef as well as the ordinary consumer who just wants to add something special to the dinner plate. Order this one early because supplies are limited!