Today we relocated two perennials: asparagus and French sorrel. The right time is when the roots are robust but the plant hasn’t yet done much leafing.
Asparagus went into these two boxes in April 2020. They were too shaded and the plants didn’t do much.
This is a sunnier spot. These asparagus crowns go in roots down, as shown here. Gardeners dug deep holes, added lime for calcium and compost made from the garden waste windrow, carefully nestled in the asparagus, and covered them in mulch leaves.
Anything that gets planted or transplanted immediately gets a lot of watering. That helps fill in any air pockets that would dry out roots and helps settle the plants, which have undergone a huge change, so they can set roots and grow.
Last season, the box on the left grew garlic. Here, spring dandelions are growing in the bed along with garlic stragglers from last season. On the table are a basket of garlic and dandelions, a byproduct of today’s work party. Finally, a dandelion salad of fresh, tender leaves, a sprinkle of cashew cheez, a drizzle of pomegranate-quince white balsamic vinegar, and a few pickled peppers.
As promised, French sorrel transplantation. Until today, the green plants in tidy rows at the back of the box were mostly one big plant. Watch the video to find out how we do it and other fun garden facts.
French sorrel goes from a big clump to several happy little plants.
