Use these tips for planting, growing, and harvesting asparagus, a long-lived perennial vegetable.
Like most vegetables, homegrown asparagus is rich in nutrients with abundant flavor.
If you like filling yourspringtime menuwith these tasty spears, it’s well worth knowing how to grow asparagus.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Starting with some essentials, here’s how to grow asparagus successfully in your garden.
For example, ‘Jersey Giant’ is a good bet for northern areas with long, cold winters.
In warmer regions, try ‘UC-157’.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
There are male and female asparagus plants.
Planting Site
Asparagus grows best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil.
Pick a location where your plants wont be disturbed for years.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Look beyond the traditional vegetable garden when selecting a location for asparagus.
A perennial garden might be a great spot for asparagus, as would a shrub border.
Good drainage is very important for preventing root rot.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
If you have heavy clay soil, consider planting your asparagus crowns inraised beds.
If starting from seed, plan to harvest your first crop about four years after planting.
Asparagus is ready for harvest 2 to 3 years after planting when started from crowns.
Credit: Bob Stefko
Regular fertilization encourages a prolific crop of asparagus.
For the first 3 years after planting, fertilize asparagus plantings in early spring.
After 3 years, transition to fertilizing plants right after the last harvest.
Apply an organicbalanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, and follow the label instructions.
Soak the bare-root crowns in water for half an hour.
Place them in the trench so the root tips are 12 to 18 inches apart.
Plant ten plants per person and up to 20 for asparagus enthusiasts if space is not an issue.
Continue watering throughout the first growing season, especially through dry spells, to encourage vigorous root growth.
Keep Pests and Weeds Away
Asparagus beetles feed on spears and foliage.
If you see beetles or their dark eggs, pick them off and drop them in soapy water.
Carefully hand-pull any weeds in your asparagus bed.
Do not use a hoe or cultivator, as it can damage the tender roots of the plants.
In the second year, you canharvest spearsthat are 12 inch in diameter, but only for two weeks.
If you have an established asparagus bed, harvest the spears when they are 7 to 9 inches tall.
Choose spears with tightly closed tips.
you’re able to either harvest by hand or with a knife.
Use a sharp garden knife to slice through the stems or break spears slightly above soil level.
The small stub above the soil will eventually dry up and disintegrate.
Harvest for about six weeks.
Once the spears start to leaf out, they’ll become too tough to eat.
Stopharvesting your asparagusonce the diameter of new shoots is smaller than a pencil.
The foliage will grow 4 to 6 feet tall.
Keep the plants watered, weeded, and mulched all summer.
Starting in year 3, fertilize the plants right after the last harvest.
Gentlyrake away any mulch andadd a 2-inch layer of compostand rake the mulch back on top.
This will insulate the plants against the cold and improve the soil.
