Nathan Bula from Spears-R-Us in Adams has been dealing with some challenging weather patterns this growing season. Asparagus prefers hot weather, especially during the nights, and the fifty or so degrees we’ve had at night isn’t helping.
Bula says their crowns are becoming of age which makes them yield lacking. However, they are replanting new crowns this spring and still have a decent average crop to meet their customer demand.
Bula plants his asparagus crowns around April 15 in rows that are five feet apart with each crown being spaced ten inches apart and twelve inches deep. They then put four inches of dirt on top of them for the first week, then another four the second week, and then level the round off on the third week.
“The first year crowns we leave be and let them grow,” says Bula. “Then those that are in their second year of growing, we harvest for maybe a week or two of the season, but we have to watch them very closely so we don’t stress the crown out. Then in the third year they are considered adult crowns and we can do a full season harvest.”
Bula says when you stop harvesting your asparagus for the season is when you want to fertilize the most. This is when you’re ultimately feeding your crop for the next year. Spears-R-Us will be wrapping up their harvest within the next week and then will begin doing soil samples as well as tissue samples from their asparagus.
“Once we begin fertilizing, the crown will go from a green color to a brown and we will then chop it off and burn the ground,” explains Bula. “This allows us to get rid of weed seeds in our organic asparagus and prep it for the following year.”
He adds that the demand for organic asparagus in Wisconsin has been great. He has been pleasantly pleased with the customer base that was existing already that the old owners created and then the new customer base that he has been able to generate as well.
The Spears-R-Us storefront allows them to sell directly to consumers from the farm. They pull out the seconds ahead of time so no matter what you grab they can ensure only the best fresh produce is being sold.
Spears-R-Us is located at 1026 County Road E in Adams, Wisconsin. Along with their fresh asparagus, they also work with other farmers to have a diverse range of vegetables available. They carry maple syrup, flowers, locally made cutting boards, and even some pickled asparagus.
Leave a Reply