OT Keeping Asparagus Patch Weed Free

John B. · Mar 30, 2013

Well I bought my self a 40# bag of rock salt and spread half of it over my two rows of asparagus to keep the weeds out. An old farmer told me to do this years ago since asparagus is a sea-weed. It actually likes the salt. I've been doing this for 19 years and my plants still look good. I found that the purple asparagus is the best to grow. It has bigger stems and people think it looks nicer. We don't see the purple here in the grocery stores. And the green doesn't look like it's worth bringing home as wilted as it always is. We cut ours up in 2" lengths then just put them in a Ziploc bag and freeze it without doing anything to it. This year I'm going to leave it full length and freeze it. So when I put it on my supper plate it will look like I'm at a restaurant...LOL

I use to fill the baggie with water then freeze it but found that wasn't the way to go. It took too long to cook it to melt the ice and the asparagus was always soggy.

rustyfarmall · Mar 30, 2013

We learned about the salt trick just one year ago, and yes, it works remarkably well. Asparagus also requires a LOT of fertilizer.

PJH · Mar 30, 2013

I remember Dad salting his asparagus, but I was too young to ask any questions. Dad had "fencerow" asparagus - little patches scattered all over the place. It was my job to pick it - every day was like an Easter egg hunt. Speaking of Easter - Happy Easter to all!

SweetFeet · Mar 30, 2013

John B.,

I'm going to try the salt! I started a patch 3 years ago and the weeds are definitely winning the war.

So you and your wife freeze it without blanching it? Will give that a try too.

Also...are you saying you have had the same plants producing for 19 years?

We LOVE asparagus! Thanks for the tips.

John B. · Mar 30, 2013

Sweetfeet, yes we just freeze it without blanching it. When we cook it we just steam it, we use to boil it but they say it's better for you if you steam it. We like ours a little on the crispy side, not mooshy.

I have tried sweetcorn the same way and it works without blanching it! Some have told me just to freeze it with the husks on but I never did do that yet.

John B. · Mar 30, 2013

Yes we had the same plants for 19 years. I started a new row last year and kept it alive thru the drought. I want to plant another row this year.

BIG RUH · Mar 30, 2013

I ridged the wife's asparagus. This way she can have white asparagus when she wants it and it gets bigger in diameter. Learned this form Mom who's dad made a living in Belleville as a truck farmer back in the 20s and 30s until he bought a farm. Some times she salts and times she don't. Doesn't make me any difference as I don't like it.

SweetFeet · Mar 30, 2013

John B.,
Sounds great, as we like it "just done". I like all vegetables that way (my mom used to cook the dickens out of everything...major mush).

I always thought one had to blanch corn because of all the sugars it contains. Not sure - will have to do some research.

old · Mar 30, 2013

Well your term sea weed is not really true but if you had said brackish water as in a fresh/salt water mix type plant you would be correct and yep asparagus likes salt and weeds do not

John B. · Mar 30, 2013

I found salt helps keep the weeds down around the buildings also, longer than any spray will...

John B. · Mar 30, 2013

My mom always blanched the sweet corn too then cut it off the cob. I never asked why though. She may not be able to tell me now if I asked her. What I mean is I don't exactly know what blanching does. I never looked it up or even gave it much thought till now. So now I'm google bond after I post this...LOL!

John B. · Mar 30, 2013

I googled blanching vegetables and here is what it says.
Blanching

Brian G. NY · Mar 30, 2013

I have always loved my veggies and asparagus is my very favorite. I planted a small patch when I retired but I haven't paid enuf attention to it.
I think right now (today) is the time for me to begin giving it the attention it deserves.
The rhubarb patch I started at the same time is doing really well. What I like about rhubarb is the shoots coming up (sometimes thru the snow) at this time of year. I know spring is here!

Ken Macfarlane · Mar 30, 2013

Just remember there isn't an easy way to undo salting your fields for other crops.

Mike (WA) · Mar 30, 2013

Slice it and saute in a little olive oil and some onions. Absolutely the best. We now saute many vegetables- swiss chard (slosh a little balsamic vinegar in), brussel sprouts (cut in half and add some Old Bay seasoning), zuchini, etc. We still steam carrots and broccoli, but that's about it. Oh, and pressure cook small beets with the leaves still on, with some chard added for more greens. And the best recipe for rutabagas: slice, steam until tender, remove from heat, let stand forever.

Also love pickled asparagus.

John B. · Mar 30, 2013

Big Ruh who was your Mom and Grandpa from Belleville? I grew up in Shiloh and we had orchards and vegetable farm along with grain farming. Mom and Dad always had a road side stand every summer on the East side of Shiloh on the way to SAFB. Our last name is Bossler!

John B. · Mar 30, 2013

When I was 5 or 6 I remember helping or going out in the asparagus patch with mom and dad and picking up what they had cut. We had 13 rows about 300 feet long. We loaded up the truck or car trunk every night and took the asparagus to Produce Row in St. Louis. That's on North Broadway. That's where all the stores in this area get their produce from.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 30, 2013

Asparagus is pretty good. My mom use to make it and serve it on buttered toast, it was a good meal.
As for freezing it, that reminds me of a neighbor I had when I was younger, he would go out and pick field corn in late July early Aug and shuck it and put in ziploc bags. Then he would just pull it out of the freezer and boil it up. I never could figure out how he ate that stuff

fixerupper · Mar 30, 2013

Dad talked about using salt 50 years ago but he never used it because having me weed it was cheaper, and he claimed it kept me out of trouble. Ummmm. Jim

Zachary Hoyt · Mar 30, 2013

We grow crimson clover under the asparagus as a cover crop. It crowds out most of the weeds pretty well.
Zach

BIG RUH · Mar 30, 2013

John, Mom was Rosanna Hemmer, Grandpa was John Hemmer. The lived across 161 (Carlyle ave) from what is now Belleville East High School which was a golf coure then. Some time in the 30's Grandpa sold that place and bought a farm on the Jefferson Road near the Freedom Farm

don t. - 9n180179 · Mar 30, 2013

"shuck it and put in ziploc bags. Then he would just pull it out of the freezer and boil it up."...

We tried that as well, tasted woody. We blanch it, then freeze. Tastes much better. Almost as good as summer. Much better than out of a can or bag.
FWIW...We will use the last of our corn on the cob for Easter.

Happy Easter...don t. ...

flembo · Mar 30, 2013

I love asparagus steamed with butter on it I can make a meal of it, just don't forget to flush after going pee. If it's yellow let it mellow no no no don't work with asparagus.

Dave Sherburne NY · Mar 30, 2013

I have a crew of 6 to weed and fertilize it. 3 Barred Rock and 3 RI Reds. Put them to work as soon as the snow is gone and fire them as soon as the first spear pokes through. It's a 6 by 16 area.

Mike (WA) · Mar 30, 2013

Once you cut a vegetable, the sugars start converting to starch. Blanching stops that process, resulting in better flavor.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 30, 2013

What number fertilizer would you put on Asparagus would you use.We use sheep manure, but maybe we are still lacking something.

OT Keeping Asparagus Patch Weed Free

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