has anyone tried growing asparagus in the absence of light? i have a very shady bed that i think would benefit from asparagus plantings if they truly do grow regardless of light conditions. anyone had any experience with this? suggest a cultivar?
white asparagus?
Actually, "White" asparagus does not grow regardless of light conditions & is not a separate cultivar.
White asparagus is quite simply green (or purple) asparagus that has been blanched - completely covered to block out all light while sprouting - just like is done with endive, etc.
The plant itself can't exist without light & is grown in full sun just like asparagus should be. Once the blanched harvest is completed, the plants are allowed to send up fern fronds to replenish themselves - just like you'd do when producing regular colored asparagus.
If you try growing them "in an extremely shady bed", all you'll end up getting - if anything - will be some really puny sickly green asparagus.
so the fern is what actually collects food for the plant, not the stalks?
Well, actually the fern & the stalks are the same thing. If you didn't harvest your asparagus & just let the stalks continue growing, they would eventually mature into the fern fronds, which, as you said, helps to feed the plant.
That's also why when you first plant young asparagus roots, you're always advised not to harvest at all the first year or two to allow the plants to gain enough strength to sustain them thru future harvests, & why, once the harvest begins to dwindle, you should allow some stalks to begin maturing into the fern.
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