It's normal for young asparagus to be very slender. Even at the end of their first growing season they are quite skinny. The stalks get thicker year by year.

Have fun!

Jim

A few years ago my neighbor gave us a bushel of freshly picked asparagus, it was without a doubt the most delicious vegetable I have ever tasted. certainly nothing like the stuff in the stores.
I ate most all of it without cooking.
I hope you get to enjoy yours in this fashion..
Good luck

Thanks for the kind words. I first tasted asparagus about 2 years ago and I love it! I can't wait to get to pick my own to eat-it is going to be a long 3 years! Until then I will have to bear with it on the supermarket asparagus.

Lynn

I started asparagus seed for the first time this year too. I sowed it 8 days ago and havn't had anything sprout yet.

How long did yours take?

At 77 degrees F asparagus should germinate in about 10 days. At cooler or warmer temperatures it takes longer.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Germination Temperatures

Mine are probably a bit cooler than that, but I have had begonias, geraniums and Lisianthus sprouting up there so it should be warm enough. I will stop holding my breath and hope for the best. Sprouting new types of seeds always makes me
nervous.

Thanks

Oh goodness, mine took forever and it was one or two each day. I put them in the cooler on 12-30-12 and the first one sprouted on 1-17-13. The last one sprouted on 1-25-13 and I gave up on the last seed on 1-28-13. I am still waiting on a couple to break through the soil, but the rest are growing nicely.
Good luck with yours! It is so exciting to do something new and have it go well.

Lynn

Congrats LynnMarie! Just wanted to add, if you don't want to bear with it on the boring supermarket stuff, you could always pick a sunday afternoon in the spring and head out into the country to pick some wild growing stuff! Very very tasty :) Of course, I live in ND and it grows all over up here, maybe it'd be more difficult in your area.

Anyhoo, just a thought!

Well, Landscraper you should get some sort of reward for the winters you have to live through. My parents were raised in Mott and Elgin. I have heard stories!! My uncle has said "The only thing slowing the wind coming out of Canada is a barbed wire fence" ;) The wind chills I hear about from my cousins still living in Mott and the surrounding area is just scary (-49). But, on the other hand, I am so envious of the beautiful, undisturbed, lush country in ND. When we visit in the summer, everything is green and growing. And pheasants everywhere!
I am in Garden City, Kansas and as far as I know, it is way too dry to support wild asparagus around here. I have never heard of any in this area. We have lots of yukka plants and tumble weeds, corn, wheat, and cows-and not much else. Even our river bed has been dried up since I was a kid. And, like the rest of the country, it has only gotten worse the last couple years.

Thank you so much for the thought! I may not get any asparagus this year, but, since I am a relatively new gardener, I am going to have plenty of other wonderful things from my garden that I have never grown before- like garlic, zucchini, napa cabbage, spinach...and many other old favorites.

Lynn

Haha....Good ol' Mott! I live on the other side of the state in a city called Valley City, but I still manage to make it out there several times a year....for you guessed it, Pheasants! :) They are quite the beautiful creature....and just as tasty as they look :)

Bummer that you don't get wild asparagus in SW Kansas...if I could share some with you I would! Grilled in tinfoil with olive oil or butter and kosher salt....oof. Maybe schedule a trip to Mott in early April! Highly recommended ;)

PS...although it's been terribly cold the last couple weeks, we finally got our first blizzard yesterday. Blargh. Spring can't come soon enough!

PPS...what kind of garlics are you growing?

Landscraper, I am growing spanish roja and duganski, both from territorial seed. I fussed and fretted a long time before settling on my choices. Both hard necks I believe. I am a little worried about the spanish roja, they didn't come up last fall. The duganski barely broke the surface, but at least I can see it. It hasn't grown much, but it is trying.
I am going to try the asparagus in tinfoil like you said. I usually saute it with carrots and onions, but would love to try something new. I bet it is wonderful with some pheasant ;)

Lynn

10 days and I now have two tiny asparagus sprouting - Jimster, you were right on the money.

I second landscraper's recommendation of grilled asparagus. I rub it with a little olive oil and salt and lay it right on the grill, then drizzle it with a bit of Balsamic vinegar, and top with a bit of parmesan cheese - good hot or chilled!

News on asparagus these days is to pick very lightly first year cuz it stimulates growth.

I have asparagus in a bunch of places besides the 2 beds, but it doesn't make it inside--snap it off & eat it. Plus, my dogs love asparagus.