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Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 71F. Winds light and variable..

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable.

For those of us who love asparagus and hate to pay the price for it, the good news is that asparagus really is not difficult to grow. The bad news is that we must wait three years to harvest the first crop. It takes that long for it to establish its root system to produce a quality spear.

The secret to success with asparagus is patience, the right variety(ies) and bed preparation. The 3-year wait is worth it. A well-prepared bed and site appropriate varieties, asparagus will provide healthy spears for 15-30 years. While waiting for a soil test result, select a site with good drainage, sandy soil, and is acid-free. Work up the bed for spring planting. The soil test will determine what amendments are needed to meet asparagus’ requirements.

The variety selection is just as critical. Martha Washington still is a good variety just as is KY-31 fescue, their hybrids are far superior. The Rutgers has developed all-male hybrids that do not set seed nor ‘babies’ that rob spears of nutrients and growing space and are disease resistant. Rutgers hybrid Millennium’ ferns go dormant early before much, if any, damage can be done by asparagus beetles, and are disease resistant. Heirlooms still have their place in the garden. Asparagus from seed is just as good as crown-planted, harvesting should be delayed for four years.

The 1st-year asparagus crowns planted mid-March to April 1, will grow but do not harvest. The 2nd-year, you will be tempted, again, don’t harvest. The 3rd-year, you will be rewarded for your patience with two months of harvest.

The only difference between harvestable asparagus from seed and crown, is the seed-started must be delayed to a 4th-year.

Garden — Continue to dig weeds even if they have gone to seed there still will be fewer sprouting in the spring. Deadhead flowers, replace spent annuals with brilliant fall-colored perennials. Take advantage of fall herbaceous and woody stem plants sales. Wait until a hard frost and roses leaves start to drop, before mulching. Keep the soil around the plants cleaned of tree foliage and rose blackspot leaves. While it still is warm, start bringing in, cleaning and repairing garden ornaments that need protection from the winter.

Houseplants — Wear a mask, nitrile gloves and eye protection when using a rooting-compound escapes can damage eyes, throat and skins

Lawn — Use broadleaf herbicides to control chickweed, dandelion, dead nettle, henbit, and plantain. Reduce damage to surrounding plants by spot applying the herbicide. To remove Lady’s Thumb(knotweed family, aka smartweed.) Thoroughly soak the soil, pinch the slender stem at the base and gently pull.

Trees and shrubs — Continue to plant trees. Transplant trees until they drop their leaves. If the ground is dry, thoroughly saturate the soil before digging, and at the new site before planting. Place your order for live and cut Christmas trees. Pick up buckeye, Kentucky coffeetree pods, and sweet gum balls before mowing as they can be dangerous projectiles. Save the sweet gum balls for holiday decorations. Give Whitehaven Tourist Welcome Center the buckeye and coffeetree seeds for tourists — they love them.

Vegetables — Dig sweet potatoes. Parsnips need to remain in the ground until after the first of the year to sweeten up. Gather and destroy mummified and windfall fruits that will carry disease.

Today and the 22nd, Huyck Farms, 3004 Cairo Rd, Paducah, 270-816-2412, huyckfarms.business.site

October weekends until the 30th, “A-Maize-ing”, A-Maize-ing Farms, 715 E. Broadway, Mayfield, 270-870-9707, funcornmaze.com

Nov. 5-6, ColorFest, Bernheim Arboretum and Forest, Clermont (near Elizabethtown)Ky, 10:00am-4:00pm, nature activities, vendors, art, craft. $13 in advance, $15 day of, email-nature @bernheim.org.,

Nov. 19-Jan. 8, “Holiday Lights”, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, Nashville, TN, Ticket available Oct. 18, 625-356-8000, cheekwood.org.

Contact Carolyn Roof, the Sun’s gardening columnist at, carolynroof02@gmail.com

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