Product Details
These regally-colored, stringless spears tip to the sweet side, but sadly, the rich purple hue fades with cooking. Bursting with a bright, sweet taste and crisp texture, they're delicious raw in salads or as garnish. The flavor is mild and nutty when cooked. 'Purple Passion' has about 20% more sugar content than many others, which is one reason it is often eaten raw. It also has much less lignin (woody fiber) content so the spears are less stringy; there is less waste as the cook can use the whole spear and not waste the bottom part.
Mostly male plants, resistant to rust and fusarium, tolerant of root and crown rot.
Bundle of 25, one-year-old, large bareroot crowns, enough to plant a 4' x 12' bed. They should be spaced 1' apart in rows 2½–3' apart.
For more information on growing Asparagus, click Growing Guide.
Shipping
HOW PLANTS ARE SHIPPED
The size of the plants we ship has been selected to reduce the shock of transplanting. For some, this means a large, bareroot crown. Others cannot travel bareroot or transplant best if grown in containers. We ship these perennials and annuals in 1 pint pots, except as noted. We must point out that many perennials will not bloom the first year after planting, but will the following year, amply rewarding your patience. We ship bulbs as dormant, bare bulbs, sometimes with some wood shavings or moss. Shrubs, Roses, vines, and other woody plants may be shipped bareroot or in pots. The size of the pot is noted in the quick facts for each item.
WHEN WE SHIP
We ship our bulbs and plants at the right time for planting in your area, except as noted, with orders dispatched on a first-come, first-served basis by climate zone. We also ship a wide range of containers and planters, tools, supplies, fertilizers, garden wear, garden decor items, as well as indoor decorations like wreaths and dried bouquets when available. Estimated dates for shipping are indicated in the green Shipping Details box for each item. Please supply a street address for delivery. Kindly contact us with two weeks notice, if you'll be away at the expected time of delivery.
OUR GUARANTEE
We guarantee to ship plants that are in prime condition for growing. If your order is damaged or fails to meet your expectations, we will cheerfully replace or refund it. Please contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-503-9624 or email us at [email protected]. Please include your order number or customer number when contacting us.
Reviews
Average Customer Rating:
(2 Reviews)
Write a Review
Sort by:
WOW! 
Snapdragon from Coastal Virginia
Growing guide
PLANTING AND HARVESTING ASPARAGUS
Our asparagus crowns are plump and ready for transplanting. we recommend that you plant them immediately upon receipt. If you can't plant them right away, put the crowns in a bucket, planter or wheelbarrow; cover them with moist (not soggy) soil; and set them in a garden shed or basement. If kept cool and moist, the crowns can stay out of the ground for several days. PLEASE NOTE: When you open the box, you may find mold growing on the soil that clings to the crowns. The mold does no harm to the crowns; just wash it off before you plant.
PLANTING
1. Choose a well-drained location in the garden where the plants will receive full sun and where they can grow undisturbed for 10 to 12 years -- remember, asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable. Crowns should be spaced 1 ft. apart in rows 2 1/2 to 3ft. apart.
2. Soak the crowns in water for 1 hour prior to planting.
3. Dig planting holes or trenches 1 ft. deep and 18 in. wide. Loosen the soil then work compost, rotted manure, leaf mold or a balanced fertilizer into the soil in the bottom of each hole or trench.
4. Make mounds at the bottom of the holes or trenches and place the crowns over the mounds with the buds pointing up. Spread the roots out evenly, like spokes on a wheel.
5. Cover the crowns with just 3 in. of soil, then water thoroughly. Keep the soil moist but not soggy until the spears emerge. Depending on the soil temperature, spears may take 2-6 weeks to emerge.
6. When the plants are 10-12 in. tall, fill the hole or trench with soil so that the ground is level. Weed your asparagus patch regularly and apply a balanced fertilizer in fall. Continue to water the plants through the summer and into autumn if rainfall is lacking.
HARVESTING
Do not harvest at all the first year. The plants need to build a good root system for future production. Allow the spears to grow into a haze of fernlike foliage. The foliage and canes (stems) will turn a golden color at the approach of cool weather and die after a heavy frost. Leave the canes standing until they break away easily from the crown. Then remove them and mulch the entire bed with an organic material for the winter.The second spring, cut a few spears from each plant over a period of two weeks. Harvest by cutting spears at soil level with a sharp knife. Water along with other plants in the garden as needed during the summer.The third spring, you can cut spears over a 3-4 week period.In subsequent years, you can extend the harvesting season to 6-8 weeks. You know it's time to stop harvesting when the tips of the spears become bumpy instead of smooth. The bumps are tiny buds. Take their appearance as a sign that the spears need to be allowed to grow into canes and foliage, which nourish the roots for next year's harvest. If well cared for, your plants will produce more and more shoots every year, forming clumps 18-24in. wide in 5 or 6 years.
