Overview Introduce the timeless taste of homegrown asparagus to your garden with these 10 Mary Washington Asparagus bare roots. The ‘Mary Washington’ variety is a celebrated heirloom, renowned for its exceptional flavor, robust growth, and reliable yields. As a perennial vegetable, asparagus plants, once established, can provide delicious harvests for 15-20 years or even longer, making them a fantastic long-term investment for any gardener. These bare roots are carefully selected to ensure vigorous growth, allowing you to quickly establish a thriving asparagus patch. This particular selection of heirloom asparagus plant is a favorite among home gardeners and commercial growers alike due to its consistent performance and delicious, tender spears. Enjoy the satisfaction of harvesting fresh, succulent asparagus right from your backyard. Asparagus officinalis bare roots are an excellent choice for starting a new asparagus bed. The ‘Mary Washington’ variety is particularly noted for its rust resistance, a common fungal disease that can affect asparagus, ensuring a healthier and more productive crop. Known for its large, dark green spears often tipped with a hint of purple, this variety offers both visual appeal and culinary delight. Plant these bare roots in the right conditions, and you’ll be enjoying fresh asparagus for many seasons to come, adding a touch of gourmet elegance to your meals. Key Benefits Growing your own Mary Washington Asparagus bare roots offers a multitude of benefits, from fresh culinary delights to the satisfaction of a sustainable garden. These plants are not only productive but also relatively easy to maintain once established. High Yields & Flavorful Spears: Enjoy a bounty of large, tender, and delicious dark green spears with a subtle purple tinge, perfect for various culinary applications. The ‘Mary Washington’ variety is celebrated for its superior taste. Rust Resistance: This heirloom variety boasts natural resistance to asparagus rust (Puccinia asparagi), a common disease, which contributes to healthier plants and more consistent harvests. Long-Term Production: Asparagus is a perennial vegetable, meaning once planted, it can produce crops for 15-20 years or more, offering an enduring source of fresh produce with minimal annual effort. Easy to Grow: While requiring some initial patience, grow Mary Washington Asparagus is considered relatively easy to cultivate once established, thriving with proper care and suitable growing conditions. Heirloom Quality: As an heirloom variety, ‘Mary Washington’ offers a connection to gardening traditions and ensures a consistent, time-tested quality that modern hybrids often cannot match. Nutrient-Rich: Fresh asparagus is a good source of vitamins K, C, A, and folate, adding healthy and delicious nutrition to your diet. Garden Aesthetics: Beyond its edible spears, the mature asparagus fern creates an attractive, feathery backdrop in the garden during the summer months. Plant Care & Growing Tips To successfully grow Mary Washington Asparagus, proper site selection and initial care are crucial. Asparagus thrives in well-drained, sandy loam soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. It requires full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, to produce the best yields. Before planting, prepare your bed by removing all weeds and amending the soil with compost to improve fertility and drainage. Dig a trench about 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide, mounding a ridge of soil in the center. Space the Asparagus officinalis bare roots about 12-18 inches apart on top of the ridge, spreading the roots evenly. Cover the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil, and as the spears grow, gradually fill the trench with soil until it is level with the surrounding ground. Water thoroughly after planting. During the first year, focus on establishing a strong root system; do not harvest any spears. Allow the ferns to grow and photosynthesize, which will store energy in the crowns for future harvests. Keep the bed free of weeds, as asparagus does not compete well. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or compost, and again after the last harvest in subsequent years. Rust-resistant asparagus varieties like ‘Mary Washington’ still benefit from good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering to minimize any potential disease issues. Asparagus is hardy in USDA zones 3-8. In colder zones, apply a thick layer of mulch in late fall after the ferns have died back to protect the crowns from freezing temperatures. In warmer zones, ensure consistent moisture during dry periods. Watering should be deep and infrequent, encouraging roots to grow deeper into the soil. Monitor for pests like asparagus beetles, and address any issues promptly with organic or appropriate methods. With diligent care, your heirloom asparagus plant will become a cherished and productive part of your garden for decades. Size & Details This offering includes 10 Mary Washington Asparagus bare roots, ready for planting. Bare roots are dormant plants, typically shipped without soil, allowing for easy transportation and optimal establishment in your garden. Each root crown is carefully selected to ensure viability and robust growth. When mature, Mary Washington asparagus plants typically grow 3-5 feet tall with a spread of 1-2 feet, forming attractive, feathery ferns after the harvest season. The spears themselves can grow to be quite large, often reaching 6-8 inches in height before they begin to fern out. Asparagus is a long-lived perennial, and while it requires patience in its initial years (no harvesting in the first year, light harvesting in the second), it will provide bountiful harvests for 15-20 years or more once established. These bare roots are an economical and effective way to start a new asparagus bed, offering a direct path to cultivating this gourmet vegetable. Plant in early spring for best results and enjoy the anticipation of future delicious harvests from your very own rust-resistant asparagus patch. Frequently Asked Questions Q: How big does this plant get? A: Mature Mary Washington asparagus plants can grow 3-5 feet tall with a spread of 1-2 feet, forming a feathery fern during the growing season after initial harvest. The edible spears typically grow 6-8 inches tall before they open. Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Asparagus is an outdoor perennial vegetable. It thrives in garden beds and requires full sun exposure to produce abundant spears. Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal growth and spear production, Mary Washington Asparagus bare roots require at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: While asparagus requires some initial preparation and patience (no harvesting in the first year), it is considered relatively easy to care for once established, providing years of harvests with proper maintenance. Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your order will arrive as 10 Mary Washington Asparagus bare roots. These are dormant plant roots, carefully packaged without soil, ready for immediate planting. Q: When is the best time to plant Mary Washington Asparagus? A: The best time to plant Asparagus officinalis bare roots is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Mary Washington Asparagus is hardy in USDA Zones 3-8. In colder zones, it will go dormant in winter and re-emerge in spring. Mulching can provide extra protection in extreme cold. Q: How long until I can harvest the spears? A: You should not harvest any spears in the first year after planting. In the second year, you can harvest lightly for 2-3 weeks. By the third year, you can enjoy a full harvest for 6-8 weeks. Q: What type of soil does this heirloom asparagus plant prefer? A: It prefers well-drained, sandy loam soil with a neutral pH (6.5-7.0). Good drainage is essential to prevent root rot. Q: Is this a rust-resistant asparagus variety? A: Yes, ‘Mary Washington’ is well-known for its natural resistance to asparagus rust, making it a reliable choice for home gardeners.
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