link. Green asparagus is the most popular variety in Australia. There are several varieties of asparagus: white, purple and green. Alternatively break in short lengths, and cook quickly in hot oil in a wok and sprinkle with soy sauce or balsamic vinegar. The former delivers thick, green shoots, while the latter is known for its long, straight spears. 3 Put a border (sleepers) around it, either 200mm or 400mm high (2 sleepers). I have read, un Asparagus is eaten with cream sauce and marinade, with meat juice, in salads, and even with fried eggs. Although you can grow plants from the berries, they will take around 4 – 5 years to produce. ‘Apollo’ – This asparagus type performs well in both chilly and warm weather conditions. compared to Switzerland 1.5kg and Germany 1.12kg per head. Here you will find extensive information on Australian asparagus including, growing, picking, preparation, cooking and eating. For further informatin follow this Some hybrid asparagus varieties have been bred to provide male only asparagus plants. All rights reserved. Australians eat around 400g of asparagus per head compared to Switzerland 1.5kg and Germany 1.12kg per head. Australia is the 8th largest producer of asparagus by weight but only Green asparagus is the most popular variety in Australia. We specialize in 3 Year Asparagus plants, roots and crowns in all varieties: Jersey Knight - Jersey Giant - Supreme and Heirloom. ‘UC 157’ – This is a hybrid asparagus that performs well in warmer climates. To produce white spears, asparagus needs to be grown in the dark. A small amount of The plants can have small flowers or berries. themed events at the. Twitter link Click to see full answer Also asked, how does asparagus grow in Australia? During the winter season when local asparagus is not available in the growing areas. Purple: Purple asparagus is sweeter and slightly thicker than green and white varieties. Buy many Asparagus roots this Spring and enjoy the harvest in 3 weeks. It gets its color from the high levels of anthocyanins in the plant which are high in antioxidants. The official website of The Australian Asparagus Council. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is one of the earliest harvested vegetables each spring. baking dish; set aside and keep warm. ... Blanche, boil or steam asparagus, char spears on the grill, or fry them as a side to your favourite meat, seafood or poultry dishes. Medium spears are the most common size available and are usually packed into 185g bunches. It also has an interesting fruity flavour. the main centre. Royal Melbourne Show. With rapid air Although you can grow asparagus from seed, it is usually grown from crown… White asparagus has long been considered a delicacy in Europe and has been grown in Australia in the past. It is served with some stews as well. Purple asparagus has sweeter thicker spears than green asparagus and is more tender due to its lower fibre content. It derives its colour from the process of photosynthesis as the spear emerges from the soil into direct sunlight. freighting the exported asparagus can be on sale in Japan just 30 hours Watch out for your local farmers markets for any The beginning of the asparagus season in Australia symbolizes the arrival of spring. Australians eat around 400g of asparagus per head It must also be kept weed free and well mulched with pea straw or Lucerne mulch. Thick spears can be just as luscious and tender as medium spears plus they are perfect for oven roasting and the BBQ. Great recipes to enjoy. Each winter, the foliage dies down. The stalks shoot up from the crown of the plant and grow into fern-like leaves when they are allowed to develop. If you would like to know how to get a massive harvest of asparagus from the one raised garden bed or container then this is the video to watch! All your asparagus growing questions resolved. We'll keep you posted on any events we see advertised. We stock two popular varieties of asparagus: Connover's Colossal and Mary Washington. Cutting lasts from September through to March due to the variety of The "leaves" are in fact needle-like cladodes (modified stems) in the axils of scale leaves; they are 6–32 mm (1 ⁄ 4 – 1 1 ⁄ 4 in) long and 1 mm (1 ⁄ 32 in) broad, and clustered four to 15 together, in a rose-like shape. Asparagus is available year-round, but spring is the best season for this nutritious vegetable. Other export markets include Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. Culinary hints - cooking and eating Asparagus. The variety portfolio of Südwestdeutsche Saatzucht is currently mainly comprised of white asparagus varieties, though some of these are suitable for growing green asparagus. To do this large scale, growers temporarily erect black ‘poly houses’ or ‘igloos’ over the asparagus furrows and then dismantle them at the end of the season. Copyright © 2018 Asparagus-lover.com all rights reserved. We have our own Asparagus Growing Expert ready to answer any questions we can't answer so ask away. 70% of Victoria's production is exported with 85% of that going to And growing Asparagus is a gardening delight. Each year producers recruit seasonal workers to cut and pack the asparagus crop. Available September to November. Asparagus is a herbaceous perennial plant that can live and produce for many years. Thick, medium and mini spears are available. Your chickens will also enjoy the fabulous health benefits of eating asparagus. Growing from crown. We sell asparagus seeds in Australia, both online and at our over 300 retail locations nationwide and are happy to help guide you in the right direction. Asparagus is a delicious perennial crop that tastes all the better when picked fresh from the garden. © 2016 AAC. There are also three different varieties of asparagus, which might be a surprise to know, and each has their own subtle flavour differences. The Asparagus bed will be bare until spring, and then spears of Asparagus will pop up all over the place. “The 2016 Australian asparagus season is shaping up as an excellent season. From the Growers. after cutting. Asparagus spears are crisp, tender and flavorful. However, the edible stalks are harvest… the cutting season. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information on this website is correct and up to date, no representation is made or warranty given (either express or implied) as to the completeness, accuracy or currency of the information that it contains. A sunny position, preferably free from strong winds and potential competition from trees should be chosen for the permanent placing of the plants. Some varieties will be more suited to processing; others to the fresh market. Arrange spears in the bottom of a greased 1-1/2-qt. Asparagus is quite easily grown and when established, will continue to produce for 15-20 years, so it is important to allocate it its own bed, where it will not be disturbed by the comings and goings of short lived annual crops. Lying in the southern hemisphere the Australian Asparagus season is at Australians get to eat Asparagus imported from Peru, Thailand, Mexico The asparagus harvest season lasts about 6-8 weeks, from early May to late June in Minnesota. Prepare the soil by adding in Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. NOTE: The asparagus berries are … Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis, is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asparagaceae which is grown for its young shoots, or spears, which are eaten as a vegetable.The asparagus plant is tall with scale like leaves emerging from the underground stem … The spears first turn pink and later, the familiar green colour. This pale green, disease-resistant asparagus is both male and female. Native to Europe, it originally grew in coastal sand dunes. Asparagus can be grown from seed, or more commonly, from asparagus crowns purchased in winter while the plants are barerooted (without soil). Also watch for any asparagus Limited supplies of purple asparagus are usually available from mid October to mid December. The most common variety is Asparagus sprengeri. Contact Australian Asparagus Council. There are different varieties of asparagus around but at Awapuni Nurseries we sell Mary Washington plants. Asparagus can be served both raw and cooked - try it fresh in salads and salsas as well as in an endless variety of cooked dishes. Queensland and Western Australia. the global average. the light required to turn it green. Stir in flour until smooth. Purple is a different variety and richer in flavour. Japan where asparagus is a very popular vegetable. being grown under black tunnels of plastic denying the growing spears of Asparagus are grown from crowns and as such one of the major care factors is to keep the area around them weed free, they do not like competition. All rights reserved. special cooking / tasting activities. Most of the asparagus grown is the green variety with a limited How to grow asparagus in a garden. This white asparagus is largley produced by the opposite end of the year to the European and North American seasons. Gardening Asparagus is care free - no maintenance. ; Dig a planting trench that goes almost to the bottom of your pre-prepared asparagus bed (15cm-20cm) and space the crowns along the base 30cm-50cm apart. Rich and sweet in taste. When left to grow, asparagus grow so large, they resemble a tall fern tree. However mass production of white asparagus is not currently considered commercially viable due to the high costs of production and limited demand. In the field, asparagus spears are exposed to sunlight as they emerge from the soil. . the 12th biggest by area which indicates that yields are higher than Green is considered the most common asparagus, and the most nutritious. Native to Africa, asparagus fern also goes by these aliases: emerald fern, emerald feather, and lace fern. and the USA. amount of the purple variety produced in November. By the end of May, asparagus is at the end of its season in most locations. Green asparagus is called Grünspargel or grüner Spargel and is harder to find in Germany. white asparagus is grown. Where does asparagus come from in the off season for Australians to eat? The colour comes from antioxidants in the spears. Modern asparagus is derived from Asparagus officinalis. Asparágus officinalis L. is the edible shoot of the cultivated plant in the … Asparagus roots are easy to plant and fast to grow. Asparagus is good … ‘Atlas’ – Atlas is a vigorous variety that performs well in hot weather. VARIETY SELECTION Potential growers will need to source an asparagus variety that has market acceptability, is suited to your local climate and, ideally, is raised organically (this is a requirement of the National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce). Today’s asparagus is grown in a wide variety of soil types and climactic conditions. Best of all, growing asparagus is easy. You might often see the green variety, which is American and British and is the most common in Australia, but you can also get a purple French variety and a white Spanish and Dutch type, which is very rare. Asparagus is a herbaceous, perennial plant growing to 100–150 cm (40–60 in) tall, with stout stems with much-branched, feathery foliage. During asparagus season their is pently of Asparagus Themed activity Remove weeds, apply compost and mulch, and your yearly maintenance is done. Most common and popular variety in Australia. It's an heirloom plant and great for the garden because it's extremely hardy and produces tender, thick and straight spears - and lots of them! It is hoped that the 2011 crop will not be affected. It is highly disease-resistant. It derives its colour from the process of photosynthesis as the spear emerges from the soil into direct sunlight. Mini spears are thin spears that are trimmed to size and are usually packed in 100g bunches. In a small saucepan, melt butter. But thick, wide asparagus is woody and fibrous in texture—it also has less flavor than medium-sized varieties. Gradually whisk in … The balance of production grows in New South Wales, climates across the continent. Australian Asparagus Council President, James Terry anticipates an excellent season this year. In practice these hybrids do produce about 7% female plants but the predominance of high yielding male plants is what marks them out.Examples include Guelph Millenium and Mondeo. Thick, medium and mini spears are available. Spargel (also known as Bleichspargel―bleached asparagus) is the German word for "white asparagus." Other varieties of asparagus ferns include ming fern and the more-groomed foxtail fern or Plumosa fern, an aggressive climber. Plants are either male or female, the male plants are the ones that produce the spears, the female plants produce berries. Fun facts. The standard asparagus variety in Australia is ‘Mary Washington’ but keep an eye out for ‘Connover’s Colossal’, ‘Fat Bastard’ and ‘Purple’. All are good doers, and well worth a spot in the garden. © 2016 Australian Asparagus Council. In March 2010 Koo Wee Rup suffered from severe flooding during 01 Oct 20, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate) Here are my suggestions. Crops are harvested from late February to June, with April being the prime month and high season for asparagus. 95% of Australia's Asparagus is grown in Victoria with Koo Wee Rup Australia is the 8th largest producer of asparagus by weight but only the 12th biggest by area which indicates that yields are higher than the global average. The purple colour is due to anthocyanins (potent antioxidants), which are the same naturally occurring pigments that give blueberries their purplish blue colour. Grown in the dark, the lack of sun is why the spears don’t turn green. In a skillet, cook asparagus in a small amount of water until crisp-tender, about 6-8 minutes; drain. White asparagus is seen as a delicacy. Thick spears can be just as luscious and tender as medium spears plus they are perfect for oven roasting and the BBQ. Steaming is traditional, then coating with melted butter or hollandaise sauce. This is one of the more common and popular varieties. 2 Dig a bed that is about 4' x 4' or 1.2m x 1.2m for 4 plants or 1.2m x 1.8m for 6 plants, 2.4m x 1.2m for 8 plants - I would recommend 6-8 plants, about 300mm deep. 1 Pick a spot that has sun all day. And climactic conditions grows in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia Jersey Giant - and... To grow asparagus varieties have been bred to provide male only asparagus plants a asparagus. We 'll keep you posted on any events we see advertised asparagus grow so large, they will take 4. Its color from the process of photosynthesis as the spear emerges from the.. 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Is a different variety and richer in flavour season their is pently of asparagus pop... Cook quickly in hot weather, the familiar green colour to its lower fibre content strong winds and competition. Delicious perennial crop that tastes all the better when picked fresh from the levels. The former delivers thick, green shoots, while the latter is known for its long, straight spears to... Lifter soil Improver & plant Fertiliser of its season in Australia in the dark 5 years produce...