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Home » Gardening » Tips on Planting Asparagus

Tips on Planting Asparagus

Updated : May 11, 2015

7 Comments

Asparagus hates weeds. We may see it in the wild on the side of the road but that is wild and we are growing a different variety and they hate weeds and get choked off by weeds.

asparagus roots 2I spoke to a guy that deals with lots of asparagus. He tells me to soak them in cool water 1 hour before planting.asparagus roots

Planting

  • Asparagus is planted in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. The plant is grown from “crowns” (1-2 year-old plants).
  • Eliminate all weeds from the bed, digging it over and working in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost, manure or soil mix.
  • Dig trenches of about 6 inches wide and 6 to 12 inches deep.  Some experts believe shallow trenches of 6 inches are best.
  • Asparagus does not like to have its feet “wet,” so be sure your bed has good drainage. For that reason, raised beds can be a good place to plant asparagus.
  • Create a mound in the trench and plant the crowns 15 to 18 inches apart, spreading the roots over the ridge.
  • Cover the roots and crowns with soil 2 inches deep and water thoroughly.
  • As the stems grow, fill in the rest of the trench with soil, leaving 3 to 4 inches of the stem exposed.

Care

  • When the trench is filled, add a 4 to 8 inch layer of mulch and water regularly.
  • Do not harvest the spears in the first year, but cut down dead foliage in late fall and side-dress with compost.
  • During the second year, keep the bed thickly mulched, side-dress in spring and early fall, and cut down dead foliage in late fall.

Harvest/Storage

asparagus growth

  • Asparagus can take three growing seasons to harvest; you may be able to lightly harvest during the second year.
  • In the first year, just let the asparagus go vegetative to give the crown a chance to get well established. Next spring, remove the old fern growth from the previous year, and keep an eye open for the new spears to begin emerging.
  • For the following years, maintain the bed and harvest only the spears thicker than a pencil.
  • The asparagus can be harvested for a period of about two to three weeks once the spears start to show. Keep a close eye on your asparagus so that you don’t miss the harvest!
  • After harvest, allow the ferns to grow; this replenishes the nutrients for next year’s spear production.
  • Harvest for 2 or 3 weeks. After you harvest, leave the ferns so it can gather nourishment for next year’s growth.
  • Cut spears that are about 6 inches in length at an angle.
  • Asparagus freezes well.

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Comments

  1. Cindy says

    November 13, 2016 at 7:18 am

    I bought some roots that were not sold from a garden center at a very good price. I am hoping I can hold them over the winter and plant them this coming spring? Will they be okay if I do this, and still grow? Or will they dry out too much and die?

    Reply
    • Mike says

      November 13, 2016 at 12:59 pm

      Cindy,

      As long as they are kept cool in a humid place I think they’ll be okay. But I think planting them now would be better.

      Reply
  2. Richard Cottenham says

    May 24, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    I’m planting large 3 year old Crowns, as these are mature plants, when can I expect to cut Spears, only if you still have to wait until 3 years before they can be harvested, then there’s no real reason to buy 3 year old asparagus Crowns are there any help regarding this would be appreciated, as no one has remarked about this, that I could find.. Thanks

    Reply
    • Ray says

      August 19, 2017 at 11:32 am

      I bought my asparagus about 5 or 6 years ago, and the place I bought it from said You can harvest them the following year, until they are the size of a pencil.
      Here’s a link:

      https://www.noursefarms.com/growing-corner/planting-guide/

      Reply
  3. Nicole Hale says

    May 14, 2015 at 11:45 am

    What kind of fertilizer is best for asparagus? (Other than compost)

    Reply
    • Mike says

      May 15, 2015 at 6:57 am

      Nicole,

      A very small amount of garden fertilizer. Just a sprinkle really.

      Reply
  4. Darlene M Esterline says

    May 14, 2015 at 10:39 am

    I plant 12 new ones every year. I have around 50 or 60 plants.LOVE it!!!

    Reply

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