Mary Washington Asparagus
100 Seeds
(Asparagus officinalis) Heirloom asparagus variety bred by Dr. J.B. Norton in 1919 that has become a garden favorite in the United States for 100 years. Plants produce excellent yields of tender, green spears with attractive, purple-tinted tips. A heavy-yielding variety with a long harvest window (up to 60 days in most climates.) Perennial. 100 seeds per packet.
CULTURE: Sow seeds indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost. Soak seeds overnight and sow 1/2" deep in sterile seed starting medium. Keep warm (75-80 degrees) until germination has occurred (14-21 days). Transplant outdoors after danger of frost has passed, spacing plants 8-14" apart. Set seedlings in a trench that is 8" deep and equally wide. Mound up soil around the stems as the spears grow, being careful not to bury any small ferns. Avoid harvesting during the first year and harvest only sparingly in the second. Tip: do not mow or trim back dead stems in the fall as water can travel down the hollow stems and freeze out the crowns.
(Asparagus officinalis) Heirloom asparagus variety bred by Dr. J.B. Norton in 1919 that has become a garden favorite in the United States for 100 years. Plants produce excellent yields of tender, green spears with attractive, purple-tinted tips. A heavy-yielding variety with a long harvest window (up to 60 days in most climates.) Perennial. 100 seeds per packet.
CULTURE: Sow seeds indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost. Soak seeds overnight and sow 1/2" deep in sterile seed starting medium. Keep warm (75-80 degrees) until germination has occurred (14-21 days). Transplant outdoors after danger of frost has passed, spacing plants 8-14" apart. Set seedlings in a trench that is 8" deep and equally wide. Mound up soil around the stems as the spears grow, being careful not to bury any small ferns. Avoid harvesting during the first year and harvest only sparingly in the second. Tip: do not mow or trim back dead stems in the fall as water can travel down the hollow stems and freeze out the crowns.
