20 Purple Passion Asparagus Bare Roots – Asparagus officinalis – Perennial Vegetable

Overview

Transform your garden into a culinary haven with these premium purple passion asparagus bare roots. This offering includes 20 individual bare roots of the acclaimed ‘Purple Passion’ variety, scientifically known as Asparagus officinalis. Renowned for its distinctive vibrant purple color, ‘Purple Passion’ stands out from traditional green asparagus with its sweeter, milder flavor and remarkably tender texture. These characteristics make it a gourmet choice for home gardeners and chefs alike. As a long-lived perennial, a single planting of these asparagus officinalis bare roots can provide delicious harvests for 15-25 years, making it a highly rewarding investment for any vegetable patch. Planting bare roots is an economical and effective way to establish a robust asparagus bed, ensuring a bountiful supply of these delectable spears for many seasons to come.

The ‘Purple Passion’ variety is not only a treat for the palate but also adds an attractive visual element to your edible landscape. Its unique hue retains some of its purple color even after cooking, adding a touch of elegance to your plates. These bare roots are carefully harvested and prepared for shipping, ready to be planted directly into your garden. Establishing an asparagus patch requires patience, but the long-term rewards of fresh, homegrown sweet purple asparagus are well worth the effort. Get ready to enjoy the unparalleled taste and tenderness that only ‘Purple Passion’ can offer.

Key Benefits

Growing purple passion asparagus bare roots in your garden offers a multitude of benefits, from superior flavor to long-term productivity. Here are some of the compelling reasons to choose this exceptional variety:

• Superior Flavor Profile: ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus is celebrated for its distinctly sweeter taste compared to green varieties, often having 20% more sugar content. This makes it a delicious and highly sought-after gourmet vegetable.
• Tender & Less Stringy: The spears are notably more tender and less fibrous than traditional green asparagus, offering a delightful eating experience without the stringiness often associated with older green spears.
• Vibrant Color: The striking purple color adds visual appeal to your garden and your plate, making meals more enticing. While some color may fade with cooking, a beautiful hue often remains.
• Long-Lived Perennial: Once established, an asparagus bed can produce for 15-25 years, providing a consistent supply of fresh spears from a single planting. This makes it an incredibly sustainable and rewarding crop for a perennial vegetable garden.
• High Yield Potential: With proper care and optimal growing conditions, ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus can provide a generous harvest, ensuring you have plenty of spears to enjoy and share.
• Nutrient-Rich: Asparagus is packed with vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as folate, iron, and potassium, contributing to a healthy diet.
• Garden Beauty: Beyond its edible qualities, the fern-like foliage of mature asparagus plants adds an attractive, feathery texture to your garden space after the harvest season.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper care is essential for establishing a thriving patch of purple passion asparagus bare roots that will yield delicious spears for decades. Asparagus prefers a site with full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Choose a location that is well-drained and won’t become waterlogged, as asparagus roots are susceptible to rot in overly wet conditions. Prepare your soil by amending it with plenty of organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure to improve fertility and drainage. Asparagus thrives in slightly acidic to neutral soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0.

When planting your asparagus officinalis bare roots, dig a trench approximately 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Create a small mound of soil at the bottom of the trench, and spread the roots of each bare root crown over the mound. Space crowns about 12-18 inches apart within the trench. Cover the crowns with about 2-3 inches of soil, and water thoroughly. As the shoots grow, gradually fill the trench with more soil until it is level with the garden bed. Water regularly during the first year to help establish the plants, aiming for consistently moist but not soggy soil. Once established, asparagus is relatively drought-tolerant but will benefit from consistent moisture during dry spells, especially during spear production.

Fertilize annually in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or a good layer of compost. It’s crucial not to harvest any spears during the first year after planting, and only a light harvest in the second year, to allow the plants to establish a strong root system. From the third year onwards, you can enjoy a full harvest. Cut spears when they are 6-8 inches tall, just before the tips begin to fern out. Stop harvesting when the diameter of the spears significantly decreases, typically after 6-8 weeks. Allow the remaining spears to grow into fern-like foliage, which will photosynthesize and store energy in the roots for the next year’s crop. Protect your perennial vegetable garden from weeds, which compete for nutrients and water, by mulching around the plants.

Size & Details

This product includes 20 Purple Passion Asparagus Bare Roots, ready for planting. Each bare root crown is typically 1-2 years old, providing a robust start for your asparagus bed. Bare roots are dormant plants shipped without soil or a pot, making them lightweight and easy to handle. When planted, these bare roots will quickly develop into mature asparagus plants, producing delectable spears. The ‘Purple Passion’ variety is known for its vigorous growth once established. Mature plants will send up spears that typically reach 6-8 inches in height before harvesting. The fern-like foliage that develops after the harvest season can grow 3-5 feet tall and wide, contributing a beautiful texture to your garden. With optimal care, you can expect your asparagus patch to begin significant production in its third year, continuing to yield for 15-25 years. This long-term productivity makes it an excellent choice for a sustainable and rewarding perennial vegetable garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How many purple passion asparagus bare roots are included? A: This package contains 20 Purple Passion Asparagus Bare Roots, providing a substantial start for a productive asparagus patch. This quantity allows for a good harvest once the plants are mature.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these bare roots? A: The best time to plant asparagus officinalis bare roots is in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. This allows the plants ample time to establish roots before the summer heat.
• Q: How much sunlight do these asparagus plants need? A: ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus thrives in full sun, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth and spear production.
• Q: Is ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus easy to grow for beginners? A: While asparagus requires patience in its first few years, establishing purple passion asparagus bare roots is straightforward. With proper soil preparation and consistent care, even beginners can successfully grow this rewarding perennial.
• Q: What condition will the bare roots arrive in? A: The bare roots will arrive dormant and without soil or a pot. This is the standard and ideal way to ship asparagus crowns, ensuring they are ready for planting.
• Q: How long until I can harvest spears from my sweet purple asparagus? A: It’s recommended not to harvest at all in the first year after planting, and only lightly in the second year. You can expect a full harvest of sweet purple asparagus from the third year onwards.
• Q: What kind of soil is best for purple passion asparagus? A: Asparagus prefers well-draining, fertile soil rich in organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.5-7.0) is ideal for these plants.
• Q: Do these asparagus plants need a lot of water? A: During establishment, consistent moisture is important. Once mature, asparagus is somewhat drought-tolerant, but regular watering during dry periods and spear production will ensure a better harvest.
• Q: Will the purple color of the asparagus spears fade when cooked? A: Some of the vibrant purple color may fade when cooked, but ‘Purple Passion’ is known to retain more of its unique hue compared to other purple varieties, making for an attractive dish.
• Q: What USDA zones are suitable for growing this perennial vegetable garden? A: ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus is generally hardy in USDA Zones 3-10, making it suitable for a wide range of climates across the United States.