Millennium (Asparagus/hybrid)

F1 hybrid. Replaces Viking KB3 with a high yielding Canadian all male hybrid. Because they are adapted for cold winters and cool springs, overwintering plants experience less winter kill than most US hybrids.  Millennium fresh market spears are very uniform and have a very high "Rutin" content, a natural bioflavonoid which is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties. Moderate tolerance to Rust. Pkt contains 10 seeds.

ASPARAGUS

1 lb/454 g per acre; 500 roots per oz/28 g

CULTURE: Soak seed for 48 hours before sowing in 85°F/29°C water or in a wet paper towel. Direct seed into beds or the field, about May 20th. Sow seed 2 in./4 cm deep, in the bottom of a 4 in./l 0 cm open furrow. Space rows 18 in./46 cm apart, on well drained sandy land. Seed at 1 seed per in./25 mm. Mix radish seed with your seed - to mark the rows for cultivation. (Asparagus germinates slowly). Thin to 4 in./10 cm apart as soon as emergence is complete. Transplanting: Dig roots in April, discard weak ones (about 40%) and transplant in furrows - 9 in./23 cm apart- in rows 4 ft./122 cm apart. Fill in furrow gradually by cultivation. Do not harvest spears the first year, it weakens the plant. A straw mulch protects roots from winter - kill and controls weeds. Allow plants to make foliage each year. Cut foliage back after the fall frost. Harvest in April of the third year for 8 weeks.