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Asparagus in Ireland

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  • 31-03-2011 7:48pm
    #1
    spezi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32 ✭


    Does anyone know if there are any asparagus growers in Ireland?


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    #2
    Emerson
    Registered Users Posts: 463 ✭✭Emerson


    There sure are! Normally available late May or early June for a very short while..

    The Italian and Spanish is already on the market a few weeks but the supermarkets are still stocking the Peruvian..

    It takes about 5 years I think for the crop to get going so most people don't opt to grow it out of impatience and accidental uprooting.


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    #3
    Corsendonk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    spezi wrote: »
    Does anyone know if there are any asparagus growers in Ireland?

    Use to be a guy just on the way into Lusk, he grew it for Tesco. Don't know if he still grows it. Its the type of crop that makes more money selling at farmers markets than supermarkets.


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    #4
    Corsendonk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    Emerson wrote: »
    There sure are! Normally available late May or early June for a very short while..

    The Italian and Spanish is already on the market a few weeks but the supermarkets are still stocking the Peruvian..

    It takes about 5 years I think for the crop to get going so most people don't opt to grow it out of impatience and accidental uprooting.

    Supermarkets here usually just stock Peru or Ecuador. Peruvian Asparagus only in the Dublin Market today.


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    #5
    olaola
    Registered Users Posts: 4,139 ✭✭✭olaola


    English asparagus is just out atm.


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    #6
    huskerdu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭huskerdu


    I spent some time in Germany and ate locally grown asparagus, picked and cooked the day it was picked.
    It is divine, the stuff shipped in from far away is just not the same.

    I'd love to know where to get Irish grown Asparagus, or even English
    stuff, as it would be fairly fresh.

    If anyone sees it for sale anywhere, please let us know.


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    #7
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 17,048 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    Tesco usually sell Uk asparagus for a few weeks every year.
    You need to keep an eye out.


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    #8
    dh0661
    Registered Users Posts: 2,630 ✭✭✭dh0661


    spezi wrote: »
    Does anyone know if there are any asparagus growers in Ireland?

    Commercially - I'd say not. Privately I'd presume they are many.

    My Dad has been growing it for years (more than 30) but has only ever got three or four plants/roots to sprout in any one year.


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    #9
    Zuiderzee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 593 ✭✭✭Zuiderzee


    Emerson wrote: »
    It takes about 5 years I think for the crop to get going so most people don't opt to grow it out of impatience and accidental uprooting.

    You can buy asparagus crowns from garden centres, so you will have a good crop in the second year. Asparagus is a perennial plant, so once it is established it will produce year after year with a little attention.

    I put in two types, the idea being variety and different cropping times to extend the production period.

    I wrote about establishing a bed recently in the gardening section here at boards and their is a more comprehensive guide on my blog - link in signature.

    A good companion or compliamentary crop is parsley
    aspar2.jpg
    I figure anyone can grow this in a regular garden, for a small garden I'd suggest getting an old car tyre and using it as a parsley and asparagus plot.
    You can normally get old car tyres for free from a local garrage.
    Main thing is to get loads of compost, manure or best of all seaweed into the base of the plot.
    Asparagus is naturally a coastal plant, so it will love seaweed fertilizer.


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