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James H. Schutte
Liliaceae
Asparagus officinalis 'Mary Washington'
Asparagus, Mary Washington Asparagus
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
Asparagus 'Mary Washington' is an older variety which produces thick spears and is rust resistant. It has a long cutting period, is cold tolerant and produces abundant emerald-green spears when mature.
Asparagus is one of the few truly perennial vegetables. It is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial native to the seacoast of Europe, Asia and North Africa. Over time its clumps spread very slowly via rhizomes (underground stems). Mature asparagus is ferny in appearance; however it is not a true fern. The much sought after luscious, asparagus spears are immature or unexpanded stems. Asparagus is dioecious, separate male and female plants, the male plants tend to produce more spears than the females.
Spears are harvested in spring as they emerge from the ground. Those that are at least the width of a finger may be harvested. In Europe it is common to cover the crowns and harvest emerging stems before they are exposed to light. This cultural practice is called blanching and results in white asparagus.
Choose a planting site for asparagus well, it is a permanent installation. Asparagus prefers well-drained sandy soil. Full sun is a must. Mix in some organic matter and plant one-year old crowns for earlier spear production. Asparagus does require a dormant period, usually brought on by cold, but there are production methods using drought or mother fern removal for warmer locations. Control weeds with straw or mulch, supply adequate moisture and be sure to leave spears to develop into mother ferns to nourish the plants for next year’s harvest.
8 - 1
3 - 8
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun
2'-4' / 0.6m - 1.2m
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Southern Europe, Mediterranean
Neutral, Alkaline
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Medium
Average Water
Clump-Forming
Spring, Summer, Fall
Insignificant
White, Gold
Yellow Green, Orange Red
Purple, Light Green, Dark Green
Green, Purple
No
Single
Yes
Fine
Matte
Semi-Evergreen
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
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