Planting and Growing

Crowns can be stored until an ideal planting time. They should be kept in the dark at no more than 5 degrees C and kept moist but not wet.

Choose a sheltered well-drained site in the full sun, dig it over removing all perennial weeds such as nettles, thistles, docks, couch grass, ground elder,and bindweed. As you cannot dig around the crowns for fear of disturbing them once planted this is essential. A coating of sharp sand should be added to heavier soils.

Dig a trench for each row some 20cms (8 inches) deep and 30cms (12 inches) across. Put in 10cms (4 inches) of well rotted manure or home-made compost and cover this with soil forming a slight ridge down the middle of the trench. Plant the crowns on the ridge some 30cms (12 inches) apart being careful to spread out the roots. Cover the crowns with soil filling up the trench. This should give 10cms (4inches) of soil cover over the crowns. It is important to keep the crowns moist in the first summer particularly if conditions are quite dry, after this the roots are deep enough so further watering is unnecessary. Rows should be ideally 3ft (1 metre) apart.

The first year’s growth should be left to develop into fern as this creates the energy to produce the following year’s crop. The second season you should be able to cut for two weeks if the plants are well grown, and the next year produces a full crop.When cutting, care should be taken not to damage other spears just below the surface. Don’t forget you should have at least 10 years of high A grade cropping!

When the fern has fully died back it should be cut off and removed to the compost heap. At this stage any inter-row cultivations can safely take place along with careful removal of any weeds around the plants. Due to weathering the soil level may need to be supplemented back to 10cm (4inches) over the crown. Cover the bed with a 10cm (4inch) mulch of well-rotted manure or compost to maintain the nutrient levels.