A bit of the present mixed in with the past....
The other day I decided to finally get around to putting up the net for the sweetpeas that are slowly growing all over the ground. Unfortunately on my way to the sweetpeas I saw a blank patch of garden which looked like the perfect size for a new asparagus bed. This lead me to haul some very large pieces of wood to the area to build up the sides, dig it all out, throw in lots of compost, manure and fertiliser and then fill it all in again. That took two days to get finished.
Yesterday I started to dig up all the old asparagus from our outside plot. Unfortunately all my wonderful leaf litter from the mountains brought a horrible weed thing with it that has completely entwined itself in the asparagus roots and started to take over the patch. This meant that I had to soak all the crowns that were dug up to remove all the dirt and try to remove all the devil weed before I replanted them in the new patch. Unfortunately it was minus 2 degrees this morning and the water never really warmed up all day, so by the time I had washed them and pulled them apart my fingers felt like they were about to fall off. And my arms felt like they were going to fall off from all the digging.
After another day of work I think I have replanted the majority of the asparagus in what will hopefully be a weed-free bed.... although I'm guessing I have missed a couple of bits of the devil and the whole process will have to be repeated in a few years time. Here's hoping when spring comes it will have all been worth it. And here's hoping that I finally get around to putting up the sweetpea net before they all rot away on the ground! I think I'll just have to put blinkers on the next time I venture that way......
Wow Jo, what a work! I can imagine that your fingers have been frozen! But I am sure that you will be rewarded with very delicous aspargus!
ReplyDeleteWill you be able to harvest the asparagus in the first season in its new bed? We are very pleased with the growth of our new asparagus this year, but I expect we will find it difficult to resist picking any again next year. But after that - yum, yum - I hope.
ReplyDelete... here ist is still the 12th and this would be the 3rd post...!!! :) Good night and keep on posting! We love all your blog! Love, Birgit
ReplyDeleteAs an asparagus newbie (we have planted and somehow 'lost' two crops so far) I am wondering if you have any tips. Leaf mulch you say?
ReplyDeleteYou did a lot of work. And in that freezing cold weather nonetheless. Your poor hands must have felt as cold as ice afterwards. Your vegetable bed looks really good though. : )
ReplyDeleteWe lost our asparagus last year thanks to hubby dumping a huge bag of heavy and fresh compost on it, added to the problem it was hacked at when he tried to remove weeds. You know weeds grow ontop not underneath :( We'll start the whole process again come spring, I hope you still get a good harvest
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