Asparagus - storing crowns

[MattC]

This is sort of off-topic but.......

I bought some asparagus crowns this past weekend
at the store. I'm storing them til its planting time in their original containers in a grocery sack in the basement. Their container is a plastic bag with sawdust/peat, wrapped up and put in a box. I put them in a dark corner of the basement and my basement stays rather cool (up 50/low 60). Is this OK til April-ish planting time?

Thanks for the input,
Matt

[sewfarsewgood]

Its probably better storage than the business you bough them from would have given them. Why not do a search on google for storage of asparagus crowns and see what you get.

You realize the planting of asparagus is a long term thing. You won't eat asparagus for 3 years yet if you do it right.

Prepare your soil real deeply with plenty of compost and manure. Plant the crowns some deeper than others and ou can regulate your harvest - the deeper crowns produce later.

Each year you should add compost and mulch over the winter.

So far in my 8 by 16 bed I have put over a ton and a half of composted steer poop and 15 bales of straw or old hay. The soil is getting really good in there.

[MattC]

Yea, nothing great comes real quick.......

This is just my first "installment" of asparagus.
I'll expand the bed next year some more. I'm going to do my best at preparing the current bed for this year's planting. Through this year, I'll get next year's site started with compost and manure.

I was afraid to store the crowns in the garage because I thought the extreme cold we just had would do more damage than good. It was 2 deg. here on Monday morning. So I opted for the basement. Atleast that way they've been a constant temp while at the store and at my place.

Matt