Moxie Gardener

Asparagus is the "princess" of all vegetables. Why else would their roots be called crowns?

Asparagus officinalis is thought to originate near the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor where it has been cultivated since about 200 BC.

The only perennial vegetable commonly cultivated in the home garden*, asparagus has been prized as a spring delicacy ever since.

Start with healthy, disease-free roots. Purchase one-year-old roots from a reputable nursery or catalog. Properly planted and cared for, an asparagus bed will produce spears for 20 to 30 years.

Space asparagus roots 12 inches apart in rows (trenches) 30 to 36 inches apart. Don’t give in to temptation and plant them closer together to increase yields; asparagus needs a lot of room to grow leaves over the summer. This helps the plant store energy to produce spears the following spring.

Dig a trench about a foot deep and loosen the soil at the bottom. Add peat moss, well-rotted manure, and slow-release granular fertilizer. Mix these in well with the loosened soil at the bottom of the hole.

Create a slight ridge down the center of the trench and place the roots at the peak of the ridge. Spread the longer roots out along both sides of the ridge and cover with about an inch of soil. The plants will be below the surface of the surrounding soil. Fill in the trench over the next few weeks, covering the tips of the spears as they emerge until the trench is level with the rest of the garden.

Do not pick any spears the first year. During the second year, pick sparingly for just one week. Pick for two weeks the third year after planting. For the fourth year, pick for four weeks. Beginning the fifth year after planting, you may harvest as much as you like for a full eight weeks. Once asparagus season is over, allow the plants to put on as much top growth as they can and you’ll be rewarded with a good crop the following spring.

Keep your asparagus patch well weeded. Mulch with straw or cocoa hulls to discourage weeds and help hold moisture in the soil. Provide plenty of water. Every other week, water enough so that the soil is completely moistened eight inches below the surface.

Depending on your location, the first spears will appear from early April to early May. For the next eight weeks, your patch will provide you with fresh asparagus daily.

Roast them, steam them, grill them, or stir-fry them.

Just don’t overcook them.

Please.

* * *

*Yes, I know rhubarb is technically a vegetable and it is commonly cultivated in the home garden. But we think of it and use it as a fruit.

Radishes mature faster than any garden vegetable.

Radishes are a favorite at my house. We have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner all throughout the year, but especially during gardening season.

Radishes are thought to have originated in China and moved across Asia along the spice routes. Egyptians and Greeks cultivated several varieties. By Roman times, many more varieties were cultivated that were much larger than the radishes we grow and eat today. Small radishes first appeared in written records in the 1500’s.

Known botanically as Raphanus sativus, radishes are a member of the Cruciferae family. The name Raphanus is derived from the old Sanskrit word rudhira, which means blood, obviously referring to their color.

We usually think of eating radishes raw but they are excellent cooked or stir-fried until crisp-tender. They make a good substitute for water chestnuts.

The French eat raw radishes along with olives and a glass of wine at the cocktail hour. Radishes clear your palate and make wine taste better.

Radishes grow best in cool weather during spring and fall. They mature in as little as three weeks. Plant radish seeds 1/2 inch deep and about an inch apart. Thin to about 2 inches apart. Radishes need to be watered every two or three days for best results. If radish seedlings are allowed to dry out, they will not form radish bulbs.

Because they germinate in only a day or two and mature so quickly, radishes have long been used by gardeners to “mark the row” when planting seeds that take several weeks to germinate. Plant radish seeds right along with your carrot, parsnip or parsley seeds. By the time these slow-germinating seeds come up, the radishes will be ready to harvest and have completed their job of marking where the carrots, parsnips, or parsley were planted.

It’s easy to tuck a few radish seeds here and there in your garden as space allows. It’s something I’ve done for years. During the heat of summer I tuck radish seeds in the shade of larger garden plants. I keep them well-watered and harvest promptly when they mature so they don’t get hot, bitter, and pithy.

I slice them thin and put them on buttered bread with salt and pepper for breakfast.

I eat them alongside a sandwich for lunch.

I put them in a salad or stir-fry (or both) for dinner.

I munch on them in the evening for snacks.

I grow radish sprouts in the winter and put them in salads or on sandwiches.

Can’t get enough radishes.