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CAPE GAZETTE, Friday, April 14. April 20, 2000 - 45
GARDEN & FARM
I
Sussex County residentspick their favorite veggies
Beebe Medical Center, in conjunction with the
Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA), recent-
ly asked Sussex County residents to vote for their
favorite vegetable. The contest was part of Beebe's
celebration of National Nutrition Month and DDA's
celebration of National Agriculture Week, both held
in March. The contest also offered a $100 shopping
spree at Super G on Routel to one lucky entrant.
When the dust had settled, 364 people cast their bal-
lots (146 by e-mail) with corn topping the field with
25 percent of the vote. Other finalists included
tomatoes, 13 percent; green beans,10 percent - won
by one vote over broccoli; broccoli,10 percent; and
asparagus, 8 percent.
The winner of the shopping spree was Gwen
Michel of Angola by the Bay. The top-five vegeta-
bles, along with nutritional information, are pictured
on this page.
No. 2 - Tomatoes are
high in vitamins A and
C, and a good source of
potassium. One mecH-
um tomato has 35 calo-
ries, Og fat, Omg choles-
terol, 5mg sodium, 7g
carbohydrates, lg diet-
ary fiber, 4g sugars and
, lg protein.
No. 1 - Corn is a good source of vitamin C, fiber, vitamin A
and iron. One medium ear has 80 calories, 10 calories from
fat0 mg cholesterol, 18g carbohydreates, 3g dietary fiber and
3g protein.
No. 5 - Asparagus is high in folate. A five-spear serving has
2.5 calories, 0g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 4g carbohy-
drates, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars and 2g protein.
No. 4 - Broccoli is high in fiber and folate and a good
source of vitamins A and C. One medium stalk has 35 calo-
ries, 0.Sg fat, 0rag cholesterol, $mg sodium, 8g carbohy-
drates, 5g dietary fiber, 3g sugars and 5g protein.
No. 3 - Green beans are a
good source of fiber and vita-
min C. A three-quarter cup
of cut green beans has 25
calories, 0g fat, 0mg choles-
terol, Omg sodium, 5g carbo-
hydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 2g
sugars and lg protein.
Asparagus- the first spears of spring
One of the first foods of spring
was also one of the first foods of
the American Colonists. The
staid, apparently joyless Pilgrims
took no time at all to plant their
gardens with a perennial, seem-
ingly carefree gourmet crop that
miraculously shoots up every
spring, often before the snows
have left.
Providence provided such deli-
cate spears that unknown to poor-
ly fed adventurers contained
scurvy-preventing vitamin C.
Having arrived with the
Colonials, asparagus has spread
along with them throughout
America.
Common garden asparagus,
asparagus officinalis, grew wild
throughout Britain and most of
Europe. Indeed sites such as
Asparagus Island attest to its far-
. • rehi!ag range. It was a common
GARDEN JOURNAL
Paul Barbano
plant in cottage gardens and can
often be found on abandoned farm
sites still growing decades after it
was set OUt.
Asparagus once #anted, will
: prodnce haresttfor 15 or even 25
years, so pick a sunny or partially
shaded spot. Plant asparagus in
very early spring. Asparagus likes
a very sweet soil, so add plenty of
lime to bring the pH to 6.5 or even
a little higher.
Asparagus can be grown from
seed or roots, called crowns.
Seeds can produce a variable
crop, however some of the more
rare and exotic varieties can only
be found as seeds. If you must go
with seed, plant them directly in
the garden spaced about three
inches apart in rows. After a year,
transplant the young crowns to
their permanent sites.
Crowns are more dependable
and give your asparagus--'beds a
head start. Look for healthy pli-
able crowns that aren't too dried
out. Figure on planting about 10
crowns per person.
Dig a trench about a foot deep
and a foot to 18 inches wide.
Place trenches a good four or five
feet apart. Cover the bottom of the
trench with six inches of topsoil
mixed with bonemeal and com-
post. Set the crowns in the trench
about six inches below ground
level. Space the crowns 12 to 18
inches apart. Cover with two inch-
es of soil, and water well. As the
shoots grow gradually fill in the
trench with more soil.
Keep asparagus watered and
weeded. After your bed is estab-
lished and growing, mulch with
straw, old leaves or aged compost.
The year after planting you can
take small cuttings when they are
about as thick as your finger. Only
harvest for a few weeks this sec-
ond season. By the third year after
planting you can extend the har-
vest for several weeks.
Stop cutting spears when the
asparagus begins to become pen-
cil thin. Allow the asparagus to
grow into tall ferny bushes. It
needs to store energy for the win-
ter and for next year's crop. Cut
down any flowering stalks, these
mark the female plants and allow-
ing them to go to seed will only
weaken them. Many gardeners
remove female plants from their
beds, because they tend to pro-
duce less than the males.
The main varieties of asparagus
are the old-fashioned but still reli-
able Ma/tha Washington, the
newer Viking, Jersey giant and the
hardier Jersey knight. In addition
to the more traditional green
asparagus there are several purple
varieties. The hybrid purple pas-
sion is so tender that it is often
served raw with dips.
Then there is white asparagus,
Continued on page 48