Jersey Knight is an all-male variety of asparagus that offers cold hardiness and resistance to diseases such as root rot, rust and fusarium. Like other varieties of asparagus, Jersey Knight is high in fiber, potassium and folic acid, as well as vitamins A, B6 and C. Jersey Knight is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 through 10. Gardeners often grow asparagus from year-old crowns to speed crop production. Year-old crowns typically produce their first crop within two to three years after planting.
Successfully growing Asparagus -
1 - Amend your soil before planting asparagus crowns to boost potassium and phosphorous. Apply 20 pounds of Black Kow mature compost per 1,000 square feet of soil. Work the fertilizer into the soil at a depth of 6 inches.
2 - Select a planting site. Asparagus needs well-drained soil and full sunlight. The crowns thrive in sandy loam soil, but they will grow in other soil types.
3 - Dig a trench for asparagus crowns in early spring, after the last frost date has passed for your area. Make trenches 5 inches deep and 6 to 8 inches apart. Planting deeper than 5 inches may result in reduced yields.
4 - Add 2 pounds of 0-20-0 superphosphate or 1 pound of 0-46-0 triple superphosphate to the bottom of each 50-foot row. Cover the fertilizer with a 1-inch layer of soil.
5 - Soak the asparagus crowns in lukewarm water for several minutes before planting.
6 - Place asparagus crowns about 18 inches apart in the trenches with the buds pointing up. Gently loosen the roots and allow them to drape over the sides of the trenches.
7 - Fill the trenches with three parts topsoil and one part compost to completely cover the crowns. Do not pack or compact the soil, as this makes it difficult for young asparagus spears to emerge.
8 - Water the asparagus crowns thoroughly until the soil feels moist. Watch for spear emergence within a week.
9 - Allow the spears to develop fully during the first year; do not harvest them.
10 - Remove weeds from the trenches regularly. After spears emerge, spreading a 4- to 8-inch layer of mulch over the trenches will help prevent weed growth.
11 - Side-dress the trenches with mulch in the fall, before the first frost date. Refrain from cutting back dead asparagus fern growth at the end of the season. Cut the dead growth back in the early spring, after winter has passed.
12 - Harvest spears when the plants are two to three years old. Spears begin emerging at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Harvest 7- to 9-inch spears by snapping them at the base. Do not cut the spears below the soil.
13 - Apply 1/2-pound of an ammonium nitrate fertilizer per each 50-foot row at the end of the harvesting period.