[AT] OT Redbud/asparagus

Mon Apr 18 07:49:45 PDT 2005

We grew lots of asparagus on our farm when I was a kid. The guy across 
the street grew even more. For weed control, he used salt; we cultivated 
and pulled weeds. Eventually his field had a build-up of salt that 
prevented even the asparagus from growing well. The field remained too 
salty for most crops for the better part of five years afterwards. It's 
OK now.

My grandfather did a lot of blanched asparagus. You dig up the roots in 
the fall and pack them in well-rotted manure in a dark, frost-proof 
cellar. Ours was the lowest level of a big barn. It was below ground, 
and there were no windows.

You got perfectly white stalks that sold, per pound, for about twelves 
times what you got for the green stuff.

The roots are shot by the time you finish harvesting (which goes on for 
quite a while, by the way). You do this when you have dug up an old 
field, divided the roots, and planted a new field. You always have roots 
left; they are what you use to do this.

At least that's how my grandfather produced blanched asparagus. It's 
very labor intensive.

Bob Seith

George Willer wrote:

> Rog,
>
> I never heard of the salt idea... I may try it.  Thanks.  On H.L.'s 
> advice I tried blanching on just one hill several years ago.  I used a 
> wash tub to keep the sun away... he said white buckets would still 
> pass enough light that the shoots would still be green.  The result 
> was that the heat buildup killed the plant... at least that's why I 
> think it died.
>
> I'm expecting to pull the mulch away to cut the shoots below the 
> surface... should have the same effect.
>
> George Willer
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Welsch" <captneb at micrord.com>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 8:55 AM
> Subject: Re: [AT] OT Redbud/asparagus
>
>
>> Around here it was the custom to "salt" the asparagus.  It seems 
>> asparagus
>> is more salt tolerant than other plants and it's a sort of easy weeding.
>> I'd be uneasy about trying it on a favorite patch but maybe it would be
>> worth giving a shot on an isolated plant or two to see how it works.  In
>> Europe asparagus is white...or more precisely an ivory or pale
>> yellow...because they blanche it in the sense of the word of covering it
>> from the sun.  I like it looking green and healthy rather than like 
>> ghost
>> asparagus but it is nice and tender...if less flavorful.  They do 
>> this with
>> mulch, George, so you may be simply exhibiting your European culinary
>> sophistication!
>>
>> Rog
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "George Willer" <gwill at toast.net>
>> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2005 9:53 PM
>> Subject: Re: [AT] OT Redbud/asparagus
>>
>>
>>> H.L.,
>>>
>>> That's a help.  It sounds like they are closely linked, so I'll keep
>>> checking.  I've had a problem with weed competition so I applied a 
>>> mulch
>>
>> of
>>
>>> wood chips deeper than usual last fall... so I may have slowed it down.
>>>
>>> I don't expect to be able to have much of a garden this year but I 
>>> do hope
>>> to have a little sweet corn and a few tomatoes.  Time will tell.
>>>
>>> George
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "H. L. Staples" 
>>> <hlstaples at mcloudteleco.com>
>>> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
>>
>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>
>>> Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2005 10:07 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [AT] OT Redbud/asparagus
>>>
>>>
>>> George----I had never given the correlation of Redbud blooming and
>>
>> Asparagus
>>
>>> sprouting any thought except to be aware that they both occur in the
>>
>> Spring.
>>
>>>  8<)
>>>
>>> The Redbud blossoms are now all but gone and we have been cutting
>>
>> Asparagus
>>
>>> for about two weeks. We have been having really cool night time
>>
>> temperatures
>>
>>> until the last few days. Soil temperature has been low, but now with 
>>> the
>>> warm up the Asparagus is beginning to really come on.
>>>
>>> BTW just got a notice of a Tornado Warning in the Oklahoma 
>>> panhandle. We
>>
>> don
>>
>>> t think we need any severe weather but sure could use some rain.  
>>> Earlier
>>> this spring I didn't think I would ever be able to get the land
>>
>> preparation
>>
>>> done because it was all mud.  Now it is all to dry to work.  Our early
>>> planting of sweet corn is about three inches tall, noticed the field 
>>> corn
>>
>> in
>>
>>> the North Canadian River bottom is close to five inches tall.  We 
>>> have had
>>> to irrigate the corn to have adequate moisture to get it up.
>>>
>>> We will start transplanting tomatoes and peppers this week, with
>>
>> watermelon
>>
>>>  cantaloupe, squash and cucumbers to follow soon.  Onions, potatoes,
>>
>> cabbage
>>
>>> , garlic and strawberries are looking good.
>>>
>>> That's it from Staples' Redbud Vegetable Farm.
>>>
>>> H. L. Staples
>>> McLoud, Oklahoma
>>> USA
>>> -------Original Message-------
>>>
>>> From: George Willer
>>> Date: 04/17/05 15:07:10
>>> To: A.T.I.S
>>> Subject: [AT] OT Redbud/asparagus
>>>
>>> Our redbuds look like they will be in bloom in a day or two... the buds
>>
>> are
>>
>>> pink.  I'm wondering how soon after they are in bloom can we expect 
>>> to be
>>> cutting asparagus?  I'm sure there is a time connection but I forget 
>>> what
>>
>> it
>>
>>> is.  If I had a guideline I could eliminate a few wild goose chases to
>>> check.  I'm sure H.L. knows.  ;-)
>>>
>>> George Willer
>>> http://members.toast.net/gwill/
>>>
>>>
>>> "Lord, the money we do spend on government and it's not one bit
>>> better than the government we got for one-third the money twenty
>>> years ago." --Will Rogers
>>>
>>>
>>>
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