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transplanting wild asparagus?

post #1 of 7
6/9/10 at 7:35pm
Thread Starter 

   Hi all,

 

    This was a horrible year for picking wild asparagus!  Nearly ever road that had asparagus on it at one time has been mowed, cut down, replanted with grass, or house on it.

 

   But there are a few plants that I came across while driving around, although they were too mature to cut and eat... did take a mental note of where the plants were for future use.

 

   Can I dig these plants up with, or without, some of the rootball and transplant them?  Near the place that I work we have an empty field with a small drainage pond on it.  The dry land is maybe 10-15 acres and will never be built on.  I'm thinking I could start transplanting some mature plants onto the property...making it much easier to find the plants next year.

 

   Does anyone have any experience or suggestions with this?

 

  thanks,

 dan

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post #2 of 7
6/11/10 at 8:43am

Just out of curiosity, is there a reason you want to dig up "wild" asparagus and transplant it rather than buy domestic asparagus and plant that onto the property you have to use?

 

Joe

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post #3 of 7
6/11/10 at 9:20am

I was wondering the same thing, Joe. Either way, to establish a bed you have to start with the "roots." It's not like transplanting a single plant.

 

I would just buy roots from a nursery or seed house and start from there.

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post #4 of 7
6/11/10 at 4:58pm
Thread Starter 

 

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by thegardenguru View Post

Just out of curiosity, is there a reason you want to dig up "wild" asparagus and transplant it rather than buy domestic asparagus and plant that onto the property you have to use?

 

Joe

 

  Do you mean domestic asparagus roots sold in the stores?  

 

   Very few stores by me carry them and they were out in no time at all.  It also isn't a item that they re-stock.  Plus, the wild asparagus are free...I would hope to get a decent number of plants in the ground at that price 

 

 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer View Post

I was wondering the same thing, Joe. Either way, to establish a bed you have to start with the "roots." It's not like transplanting a single plant.

 

I would just buy roots from a nursery or seed house and start from there.

 

  Hi KYH.  Only one store by me carried the asparagus roots and the shelf was empty.  I asked if they were getting any more in and they said they weren't.  

 

   I may order some roots online.  But I figure I may as well use the free plants in the wild if it would work.

 

  thanks guys!

  dan


 

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post #5 of 7
6/11/10 at 7:00pm

There's a great many advantages to buying "domestic" asparagus that pay many times over versus digging up wild stuff.

 

Growing asparagus properly starts with more than just digging holes and dropping in some dug-up clumps.  If you're going to make the effort, you might as well make the investment.

 

More than anything, what you're after are mostly (if not entirely) male plants.  You can buy such.

 

Digging and transplanting now isn't the best timing, anyway.  You might as well wait until next bare-root season, order a suitable mostly-male strain from a specialty mailorder company, dig really good trenches and start a viable asparagus patch.

 

And while you wait for your asparagus to come into full-bearing, harvest the wild stuff.

 

Joe

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post #6 of 7
6/11/10 at 8:23pm
Thread Starter 

   Thanks Joe (and KYH)...you both contributed some informative posts. 

 

 

   I did look online, but didn't find much useful information.  I'll do some scouting now for a place to purchase online.

 

  thanks,

 dan

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post #7 of 7
8/9/10 at 8:14pm

If you're planting or transplanting seedlings outside, the best method I've found is to dig the hole, add just a "dash" of compost and bone meal for drainage, and add extra nutrients.
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The Australian Guide to Herb Gardening

 

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