Is it practical to transplant asparagus plants? We planted 10 crowns five or six years ago on our allotment, but now find that we have to move. They have only just started cropping well and we are reluctant to abandon them.
Asparagus on allotments is a classic pay-it-forward. How pleased as punch would you be to inherit an established asparagus bed on your new plot? You would surely think, “Aren’t gardeners wonderful people? They’re so kind, so generous… I will be kind and generous, too, and do something lovely and unexpected for someone else.”
To sway you to my side further, I’ll point out that it is entirely possible to move asparagus, either in early spring or autumn, though you will have to dig them up very gingerly, trying not to break any of those long, spidery roots, and you should keep them damp between homes. But in doing so, you would be going back to year one or maybe two of their growth, because you won’t be able to pick spears while the plants re-establish. In year three, you can pick some, not all; and finally, in year four, you can gorge.
There is a financial incentive in taking them with you, but how about leaving them as a gift for your plot’s next tenants?
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