Kitchen Garden Forum

In the autumn I ordered some new crowns.
Obviously planning to put them in about now, although I was expecting to do it in March.
With the Covid-19 lockdown, the builders merchants certainly won't supply an allotment, so these will have to go in without adding any sand to improve the drainage in my clay soil over chalk.
Any helpful advice is welcome.

Morning Stephen, I know it won't be anywhere near as good but, just get them in and when all this trouble is over, apply some coarse sand to the top, just forking in lightly. Of course, any old compost incorporated now, will help tremedously too.

If you know if a decent groundworks firm, they may be able to supply some in the quantity you need. Many of them still have supplied in their yards.

Yesterday, I got the e-mail saying expect delivery in the next seven days.
Today they arrived.
Fortunately, I had dug and manured a bed in the autumn but I would have liked to be a bit more prepared.
As it was after lunch that I realised they were on the doorstep, it mean a busy afternoon.
I have partly filled the trench. Do I leave it like this and top it up later?

Evening Stephen,
The bed which I made in the allotment which I have just vacated was backfilled 2-3 inches every couple of weeks until the trench was filled and shaped to a mound.Thinking of putting an Asparagus bed in my "new"alloment next year once I sort what is going where.Who supplied you with your crowns?

Hmm. My new raised beds are being constructed at a good pace and I've found a supplier of asparagus crowns (Pomona Fruits) who are delivering now.
The problem I have is this. The beds will be filled with topsoil/compost, so drainage not an issue, but I won't have had time to enrich the soil as recommended before planting the crowns. Am I better off waiting until the autumn, when I will have had time to do the textbook prep?

Hi Snooky
That is the approach I have been told about, it's good to know that it is worth pursuing. A couple of weeks gives me time to get some bags of sand to improve the drainage.
The crowns were ordered from DT Brown last autumn. Greenic & Guelph Millennium.

Vivienz
Text books can be very traditional but Charles Dowding writes that he plants on flat ground (but says very little on asparagus). I'd get them in and mix compost and soil for the fill. I'm going to rake in some Growmore during the week.