Asparagus, a flowering perennial vegetable, has been cultivated for thousands of years. The first asparagus recipe dates back to the third century. Growing asparagus from seed or bare-root crowns is the quickest and easiest way to start an asparagus bed. Asparagus is one of the few perennial vegetables commonly grown in gardens, but it’s relatively easy to grow.
To start asparagus, you can buy crowns from a respectable nursery and start from seed or 1 to 2 year-old crowns. The soil should contain at least 3% organic matte and have a pH between 6.0-6.8. Asparagus will not thrive in sandy loam soil, so it requires a pH between 6.0-6.8.
There are two main ways to plant asparagus in your greenhouse: starting from seed and planting 2-year-old crown cuttings. Cover one bed in a coldframe to break dormancy sooner and harvest over 5 weeks. Harvest the second bed in spring.
In a greenhouse, plant seeds or crowns in spring to ensure adequate space and dormancy. Water weekly and mulch for moisture. Asparagus needs a sheltered site with free-draining soil, where it can grow on its own in a dedicated bed. Eliminate all weeds from the bed, dig it over, and work in a 2-inch hole. If your greenhouse is heated through the winter, you can start them anytime and let them grow on. If not, wait until your normal conditions are met. Hydroseeding, a method of planting using a mixture of seeds and mulch, is essential in construction and environmental restoration.
📹 Don’t Make This Mistake Growing ASPARAGUS! I Lost ALL Of Mine!🤦♂️
Every gardener should grow asparagus! Asparagus is cold hardy, can be placed almost anywhere, and asparagus crowns live for …
How do you care for an asparagus plant indoors?
Asparagus ferns flourish in environments with bright indirect light and dappled shade, therefore direct sunlight should be avoided. To prevent root rot, the plant should be watered when 25% of the soil volume is dry. In the event that the plant exhibits discoloration, namely browning or drooping, it is indicative of a need for increased irrigation. These plants flourish in humid environments; therefore, regular misting or the use of a pebble tray can facilitate the maintenance of optimal health. The optimal temperature range for asparagus ferns is between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Does asparagus like a lot of sun?
Asparagus requires full sun for optimal growth, with at least 8 hours of sun per day. Avoid planting near trees or tall shrubs that may shade or compete for nutrients and water. Choose loose, deep, well-drained, and fertile soil, and incorporate manure, compost, or green manure cover crops into poor soil before planting asparagus. Soil should be tested before planting and every three years thereafter, with testing available through private and public labs.
Adjust the soil pH to 6. 5 to 6. 8 by adding limestone or wood ashes as recommended by a soil test. Fertilizer requirements are determined by the same test, with a general recommendation of 2. 5 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet. Thoroughly incorporate lime and fertilizer materials into the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches before planting.
What are the enemies of asparagus?
Asparagus is a popular and expensive vegetable crop in North Carolina, with only about 1, 000 acres in commercial production. However, it faces several pests, including asparagus aphids, asparagus beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and slugs. Asparagus aphids, which are pale green and up to 3/32 inch long, feed on leaves and bracts, causing infested plants to become stunted or die. The asparagus beetle, also known as common asparagus beetle, has a metallic-blue head, red thorax with two blue spots, and yellowish square spots on each wing cover. Spotted asparagus beetles are red-orange or tan with six black spots on each wing cover.
How do you pick asparagus so it keeps growing?
Harvest asparagus spears in spring by cutting them at ground level before flower buds open. Spears should be 6 to 10 inches tall and about the diameter of your index finger. Continue harvesting for six to eight weeks, but no later than July 1. If you notice decreased production or vigor, stop harvesting and let the plant store energy for the next season. Stems that reach over 10 inches should continue growing to strengthen roots and store energy for the next year. Asparagus plants are heavy feeders, so amend soil and fertilize regularly. Phosphorus is the primary nutrient required by the plants.
Can you grow asparagus indoors?
Asparagus seeds are a cost-effective alternative to pre-established roots, and can be planted in greenhouses or indoors between February and May. Soak the seeds for a few hours and plant them a half-inch deep in soil temperatures of 70-85 degrees. Sprouting occurs between two and eight weeks of planting. Once 10-12 weeks old, transplant the seedlings 18 inches apart in rows 3 and 6 feet apart. Keep the soil moist and cover the crown with soil. Fertilize in the spring and allow asparagus to grow ferns. Cut them down in the fall and mulch to prevent weeds from feeding on the beds.
What is the best container to grow asparagus in?
Asparagus can be grown in a container, but it requires certain elements to be properly planted. A five to ten-gallon pot or whiskey barrel is a good starting point, as asparagus crowns must be planted deeply. While ground asparagus can grow for decades, pot-grown crowns have a shorter lifespan of three or four seasons once harvested. However, there are some tips to help grow asparagus in a container, such as selecting the right container size, planting deeply, and ensuring proper drainage. By following these tips, you can successfully grow asparagus in a container and enjoy the delicious spears each spring.
Does asparagus grow in a greenhouse?
The author’s initial harvest yielded no stalks, indicating that the first year of spear harvesting was unsuccessful. In the third year, the desired stalks are harvested and some plants are transferred to an unheated greenhouse bed. The plants in question exhibit a growth spurt in spears approximately three weeks to one month prior to the time frame in which outdoor plants would typically begin to sprout, thereby allowing for a longer growing season. The plants are permitted to develop into ferns until the advent of frost, at which point they are pruned and composted.
How many asparagus do you get from each plant?
A single row of 10-12 asparagus plants will begin to produce a substantial yield after a period of two years. Each crown is capable of producing up to 25 spears per year, with the crop continuing to be harvested for 25 years. It is recommended that the asparagus be planted in a sunny location with well-drained soil and shelter from wind and rain. In the event that the soil is not optimal, it is recommended to incorporate well-rotted manure or garden compost to enhance soil structure and fertility.
Is asparagus better in ground or raised beds?
Asparagus is best grown in rich, loose soil, either in-ground in backyard gardens or raised garden beds. If the soil is dense, planting in a raised bed or large container is best. Asparagus can be started from seeds or purchased as crowns, with dry root crowns being the preferred method. Sowing seeds 12-14 weeks before the last frost date in your area, sowing ¼ inch deep in the seed starting mix, hardening off seedlings in a protected area for at least one week before planting outdoors, and regularly weeding the garden beds as seedlings establish. Starting asparagus from seeds can take several years, so it’s essential to follow proper planting conditions and ensure proper soil amendments.
Does asparagus grow better in sun or shade?
Asparagus can be grown in full sun or dappled shade, with most soil types suitable as long as they are well-drained. For heavy soil, a raised bed is recommended. A pH of 6. 5-7. 5 is ideal, and lime can be added to raise it if the soil is more acidic. Before planting, weed the bed thoroughly and add organic matter like garden compost or well-rotted manure per square metre/yard.
Bare-root crowns are the quickest and easiest way to start an asparagus bed, but seeds can also be grown from seed. To start, dig a trench 30cm wide and 20cm deep, fork garden compost or well-rotted manure into the base, cover with excavated soil, and create a ridge of soil. Place crowns on top of this ridge, spacing them 30–45cm apart. Mix organic matter into the soil, then gently return it back into the trench, leaving bud tips visible.
Space rows 45cm apart and stagger plants between adjacent rows. Water the plants well to settle to the soil around their roots, and mulch with a 5cm layer of well-rotted manure or garden compost to hold in moisture and suppress weeds.
What is the best companion plant for asparagus?
Asparagus is a compatible ingredient with a number of nightshade vegetables, including tomatoes and eggplant. It also pairs well with herbs such as basil, parsley, coriander, comfrey, dill, and members of the Aster family, including marigolds and nasturtiums.
📹 How To GROW AsparagusThe LAZY Way!
An Asparagus plant can be grown from seed, but it is easier to plant one-year-old dormant plants, known as asparagus crowns, …
In Germany as a young girl, it was my job to harvest my Grandfather’s asparagus. He had very sandy soil in the suburbs of Frankfurt. He planted the trench, but built up a hill along the length of the hill. The hill stood about a foot above the garden base. As the asparagus tips showed through the hill, I used my first two fingers to form a V and put one finger on each side of the tip and pulled back the soil to expose the white asparagus and cut it off at the base with a sharp knife. Then I pushed the soil back into the hill and moved onto the next tip on both sides of the hill. Harvesting was done around 5: P.M. The next evening I was out there again collecting the asparagus. The hill was about 12 feet long. They grew everything in the way of herbs, fruits and veggies.
I live in the SE US. We have poor clay soil, so I just put the crowns on top of the ground in a raised bed and fill with dirt. I use compost and my neighbor’s rabbits manure in the fall to fertilize. We grow potatoes basically the same way, but not in a contained bed and using mulch, grass clippings and ash from our grill. Best potatoes ever! You have a lovely website. Thanks!
I grow asparagus, sown from seed. I started in 2013 – 2015 and have about 50 plants in my garden. Last year I harvested fully. I love asparagus. This year I also have sown some seeds from my own plants. Not because I need more plants, but I will try if they germinate. Asparagus is a beach plant so they love seaweed and sand. I have sandy soil in the garden and I collect seaweed and use it as fertilizer and mulch. Best wishes from Norway.
I planted 24 asparagus plants in 2016, and started harvesting last year. When people saw me coming from my allotment with a nice bundle of asparagus, they were all surprised that asparagus could grow in this hard clay soil. The plants are doing great, in fact the asparagus patch is the only planting I did not water at all in extremely dry 2018. Everything else got watered regularly, grapes, figs, hardy kiwi, even young fruit trees, but the asparagus I totally dry farmed and it did great.
I’ve grown asparagus for about 26 or 27 years now. I grew crowns from seed in the greenhouse, and planted them out at the end of their second year: I dug a trench about four feet deep (we have very poor, heavy clay soil), and back-filled it with well-rotted stable muck. I built an eight-inch raised border around it, and every autumn top it off with more dung. The original plants are still producing, and I’ve allowed some to produce seed, and have left that to germinate in the bed. Given time (about twenty years), it will start to spread.
I have grown asparagus from seed,. I was completely ignorant but my husband was enthusiastic about it, so I bought the seeds. I have about 18 plants and they are now about 18 months old. We are now in the heart of summer. I am relieved that they don’t need much water. Thank you for this enlightening article.. Can’t wait to eat the crop!
My sister picked a bunch of asparagus yesterday on our northern Iowa family farm. This patch has been growing for over 40 years. It likes the rich black soil. Years ago when my dad was still alive, he would find wild asparagus in the ditches along the country roads. They were his secret spots. Our garden asparagus patch comes up every year in the spring, after our cold snowy winters. As a child, I didn’t care for the taste of asparagus, but as an adult, I love it!!! It’s fun to find new recipes online and try them. My latest recipe is baked asparagus fries in Panko. My sister made that for her husband and me last night. It was very delicious!!!
Great article, thank you very much. I’ve planted two set of asparagus over two years and of the 25 crowns I’ve planted only half have come up. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong but I have noticed that the crowns I planted only had four or five small roots compared to your MASSIVE crowns with lots of healthy looking roots! No wonder some of mine failed. Where do you get your crowns from please? (UK only)
You are by far the best advice for gardening, much appreciated guestion: my new asparagus bed is with two yr old crowns, I used some straw that was full of grass and seeds. Now almost every asparagus produced one shoot but its a grass weed bed now. Can I cover it all with compost and cardboard this fall to kill the weeds and will the asparagus be ok? Much appreciated
30 plants is indeed plenty enough for a small family, otherwise one gets tired of the stuff and sometimes it goes to waste for not getting around to using it all. I lucked out when planting mine, the best deep humus rich soil just happened to be where I had intended to situate the asparagus, and that also is very nearby to the compost pile!😊
Hello, thank you for this edition. It’s good for me. My partner and I planted 84 asparagus wreaths this spring. Unfortunately they weren’t as big and beautiful as yours. Everything happened in Romania, but in a month I return back to the Kingdom. Please, let me know, a supplier of F1 hybrid asparagus. I am looking forward to your next editions. Enjoy. PS: next Monday I will also install the drip irrigation line
Love your article! Have a question….i work at a nursing home where an old farmer told me to frequently pour epsom salts straight on my asparagus plants. He said the more the better. I have done so for couple of years and havent seen a big change. Still get about same amount of spears every year. Have u ever heard anything like this?
I have a garden in a old dairy barn. So one concrete gutter is filled with asparagus and I added seed every year ! This is 6 inch deep and I am considering transplanting into a garden bed in the west with full sun ! It’s been in the gutter bed for five years now. I was concerned the roots can’t get any deeper ! What do you think ?? Leave it or move it? Great article by the way. Thank you.
APRIL: I have just planted 20 dormant asparagus plants in 2 areas. That was the easy bit. Digging each trench turned out to be an unforeseen lot of hard work. Had deep invasive roots in first trench from bordering plants that were 3feet away, couldn’t believe those thick, dense, woody roots travelled so far from their mother plant. That trench took one weekend of painful deep digging. The second trench in another area found old bricks and stones about 10 inches down from a Victorian dumping site. That trench took another weekend of painful digging. On the bright side, all 20 plants are now settled and watered in and I look forward to any growth activity above ground. It will all be worth it in the end I know, but so glad I did the digging in my 50s, not in my 70s! I was amazed at the ‘alien’ tentacle roots of the asparagus plant, no wonder they take 2-3 years to get established, they’re so weird. Thanks for the growing tips, & no wonder you got Liz around to help… 🙂
I watched this article in long as it very much. At the end, you are given information about how to feed the plants for the upcoming year however I did not hear what I was supposed to be adding to the rows, something about 1 to 1 and 1/2 pounds per 100 square feet. The problem is I never caught what was supposed to be added. I tried to listen to it several times but I never could make it out. Can you please get back with me about what it was? I’m looking forward to using your method. Thank you in advance for your response.
A fellow gardener that I was helping out gave me three speers freshly picked to munch on while driving home. Unfortunately they were in back seat out of reach. Put in abit of water in fridge to enjoy later. Next day one of the spears started to put out growth along its stem. Question – could this spear be utilized to to re-introduce somehow into the garden for continued growth? Thanks for your articles! I find them and your followers comments so helpful and reminds me of the joy being apart of a community of earth appreciators!
I was just wandering about the time of harvesting. Here in South Africa it is common to harvest them as “white” shoots because they are still underneath the soil and enable to be influence by photosenthesis and are therefore still white in colour. These are usually tinned in factories and are delicious. One trick is to “ridge” your beds to make sure you get cuttings of at least 12-15cm long. You also get a special tool that you press into the soil next to the asparagus and then twist it to cut it!! To harvest white asparagus you have to do it dayly to prevent green parts on it. Try it it is far more delicious than the green one. Greetings from Sout Africa!!
I love asparagus! I’ve grown it for years and can’t get enough of it. Most of it doesn’t make it past the garden because I’ll eat it as soon as I pick it. lolol So this year I’m starting 40 more from seed. Three years is a long time to wait for that delicious goodness but it is well worth it. Thank You and Much Love
Greetings from Puerto Rico, I just got to see your article today because I was looking for information about how to plant asparagus. I have two questions, first, what kind of mycorrhizal fungi are you using? Second, what would happen if I plant 20 crowns in an 8′ by 32″ bed? I ask because I just bought 20 crowns and the space I have is 8 feet long by 33 inches wide.
What great article. Oklahoma here with red clay soil. I moved into a house that had a plot come up in March here. Shocked! But grateful! I love asparagus ❤️ I really didn’t ‘do’ anything. It rains a lot from(early Feb?) March to August and very hot and humid. They lasted till about June. I harvest and let it grow over (what I’d read). But the gophers eventually got them or they got old and grown over with grass. Don’t know old they were but they came back for three years. Then nothing? I just bought crowns (August) and wondered if I wait till September (cooler here) and grow them in raised beds (no gophers) they would live longer. Already have a green thumb and plenty natural fertilizer (horses). Should I still use bone meal and (??) to help them live longer? Thanx in advance. Ginger 🙂
Loving the article and you delivery! – I dont mean to catch you out (and I hope I’ve misunderstood) but at 3:56 you say ‘water 2 inches every two weeks and then after a year, once established, drop that down to once every two weeks’ !?!? – Is that not the same thing??? – as I’m loving your advice and I want to follow it carefully, I wanted to check. Thanks so much!! Carl
We’ve got an Asparagus bed. Planted Crowns of ‘Jersey Supreme’, and ‘Purple Passion’. ‘Purple Passion’ seems to love our soil/climate. ‘Jersey Supreme’, not so much. I just over planted the Jersey supreme with a hundred crowns of Purple Passion. Being real lazy, I laid the crowns out, and then mulched over them. I’ll add more mulch as they emerge, to at least six inches. We’ve a very clay soil, so planting above, and mulching, seems to work well. Love Asparagus. I’m going to do an experiment with half the bed, and not harvest through July. Then I’ll mow it down. I hope to get a Fall crop. I think it will work, having seen Wild Asparagus sprout lovely stalks after being mowed.
Question I live in Alabama in the US. I added lime to our soil and waited 2 weeks before planting. I also added coffee grounds composted chicken manure and sand to the soil. Our pH level is low and we have red heavy clay dirt. Have been watering the four asparagus crowns that I planted. Have not seen them come up. I think it’s been 6 weeks or 2 months. Did I fail or is it too early? I got Washington crowns from Tractor Supply.
This is a superb article Tony. Been thinking about Asparagus but as you point out, its a commitment giving ground to it and I’ve not yet decided on that area. Love the taste of it so it will almost certainly be part of my veg for the future. Thank you so much for showing us the trench for the crowns, information that is so useful!
Really good upload regarding this 20 year perennial… I liked and I shared… Very tempted to have a go at it now and will take a look and see where they may fit into the double plot… Cant wait for the weekend now Tony… Got a lot of work to do and the weather is so fine… Cheers for the great upload mate. Take Care Tony
I have just prepared a few raised beds for my asparagus that will be delivered shortly, I have lined the base with newspaper then horse muck then fresh store-bought compost, this will give the bed time to settle before I throw in the crowns and provide good nutrients to them from the start, as raised beds are generally dryer than in-ground and warm up faster in the spring this will help prevent crown rot, I can also attach a support frame directly to the bed for then they grow tall during the summer months
I hope you can read this. I planted my asparagus about 7 years ago in a raised bed so it would have an identifiable home. Apparently one was planted too close to the corner an the frame corner has pulled apart and the asparagus is coming up inside where it’s separated at the corner and outside the frame as well. These asparagus shoots are about 1″ in diameter. Suggestions? Make the frame larger? Dig up this one plant? If I do dig up and replant does this mean that I have to wait until the 3rd year to start harvesting from it? Hope I explained situation well enough. Thank you!
Just planted 3 asparagus plants which came in deep 3 litre pots today (pacific purple, Millenium and mondeo from James McIntyre & Sons) but was unsure if had planted them correctly until checked with your article! I hadn’t. The crown is just sticking up through the level soil surface ……. So I’ll need to rectify that somehow ! Aaaaaaaahhhhh !!! (Was excited but now just confused ….)
what about full sun all day? here in southern california zone 9b, the area i want to plant it is full sun and in the early summer (may) late summer (sept.) it gets to 104-105F. Will the asparagus survive that annually? Also what do you think about covering the asparagus growing area with a nitrogen fixing groundcover like clover to help out-compete the weeds?
I’m currently trying to grow asparagus from seed. I have my seedlings indoors under grow lights. They are tall thin fronds. I’m nervous for when it comes time to transplant outdoors because there’s not a ton of info on how to do it when you stated from seed. I think I’m supposed to bury most of the frond? But I’m not sure…
I have been growing asparagus going on 4 years. Last year a late freeze took most all of the spears. That was a real disappointment. I was planning on harvesting a lot of spears. I need to cover the ground with a lot of leaves or straw this year. I didn’t catch what you fertilize your asparagus with in June. Can you tell me ? Tell Liz Hello for me.! I am in Kentucky,USA I enjoy your articles.
Nice vid. Asparagus is the only garden cultivar that I’m aware of which can survive in the wild. So-called “wild” asparagus plants are actually renegades from people’s gardens. Some years after our asparagus was producing, it appeared along the fence row and in the somewhat neglected ditch embankment on the other side of the road. It wouldn’t hurt to broadcast seeds along a fence line or the edge of a woodlot or what have you and see what happens.
I have an asparagus patch that I grew from seed. It has grown very well since I first sowed it about 4 or 5 years ago. I sowed some of that original seed from 2013 / 2014 earlier this monthto see if it would germinate but it hasnt so far. I tried growing tomato plants around the asparagus bed to deter the asparagus beetle and it really did deter tchem. Tomatoes didnt do to well in the open but I will try tchem there again this year to protect the asparagus. I did notice though that a cherry black tomato plant bounced back several times. Could be a tough cookie of a plant for outdoors.
I found 3 old plants on a gra el pig that used to be a farm. I dug them up and lugged them home. Who knows how old they are 😄. I also planted some seeds to add more plants for the years to come. I have grown from seed before. Only stayed on that house for 5 years so hopefully the new owners appreciated the huge asparagus patch I left them.
Thank you for your article. I started growing 4 plants in a 30 gallon pot last year. I only have one. So that probably won’t get much. I think I’ll start a few more and put sand in the soil too. Unfortunately I don’t have a place to plant in the ground. Do you think planting in a pot is sufficient? Also I’m in California, does that change the harvest time?
I’m on my 6th year on my asparagus. All I do is put out a couple of inches of compost, then 4-5 in of mulch in the spring right before they sprout. That’s all I do. I don’t baby them, by giving them any special like a protected area to overwinter. All I do is chop the dead fronds off after the first couple of freezes. I always mean to mulch them, but always forget. It gets below 0 F for much of the winter, and they regrow just fine. I’ve been picking every other day since the end of March, and will probably stop mid May, getting plenty enough from the original 24 crowns to feed my family enough to supply a good sized side dish every other day. If you pick the right variety they will self sow. I grow Mary Washington. Right now I have newly sprouted plants sitting right alongside my 6 yr olds. They are left alone by the rodents and rabbits that visit from the nearby farmland. I’m not sure of anything else since those are my primary pests. Birds like the berries too. I’ve seen sprouts from my asparagus all around my neighborhood. I’ve even been known to complement their asparagus, and warn them that if they want to keep it, let it grow for a year or 2, then move it to a place where they can handle a 6-7 ft plant
Years ago when I was growing asparagus I discovered that they grow really quick. I observed over a short period of time( about 4 days ). I measured one stock of asparagus over this period of time and discovered they can grow several inches an hour. The one spear I was perusal grew about four inches and hour over the observation period. However there was another spear very close to the I was perusal that was shorter than the one I was perusal in the beginning grew taller than the one I was perusal when I stopped the observation of the spear I was measuring. I discovered that I go several times a day to harvest asparagus. Wait too long the asparagus would go to flower.
Thanks for the article Tony, I just took over an allotment with a small patch of 20 asparagus. To be frank I’m not sure they’re even alive as there is no sign of anything and the old fronds were dead and hollow when I took it over. I’ll be perusal this article a few more times just in case they show up! 😀
Great asparagus article Tony, it was really informative…I am wanting to put a big bed of asparagus over on my plot but I haven’t got any well rotted manure to hand to put in the trench so I may have to leave it until next autumn/spring. I may buy some seeds and grow my own in the meantime rather than buy established plants from a retailer which I would have done if I could get the bed up and running this spring. I have a couple of plants in the ground at the moment but I need to move them as they are too close to my rhubarb and blackberries, I didn’t plan it well enough 😞🥴😊👍
I’ve just got my hand on my first ever Asparagus plants which were kindly donated from a member of the community growing group I founded and manage. I’m very nervous that I might mess things up as the timing involves with getting Asparagus to grow is not inconsiderable! I think this is the first year that the plant has put out fronds and with it now being June I’m just going to plant it out and let it grow. We’re also having the back garden landscapes which means most things need to be in pots but having heard your advice about long term placement do you think that a 30ltr container (yes, they’re the Oakland’s ones 👍) will be large enough for each plant if I ensure that I’m enriching the soil with a manure amendment?
I’m having trouble finding information about a specific question related to growing asparagus. I’m new to it. This was the first year, and I did not harvest any–per conventional wisdom. I am excited to harvest some in the spring. My question is this: What, if anything, should I do with the growth from year one? Do I just leave it standing over winter? Do I cut it back? Anything else I should know?
Mushrooms,greens,garlic, herbs & tomatoes are more expensive to buy or grow than Asparagus. Common asparagus is $2.50 to $3.00 a pound or 20 to 30 spears. Of corse that depends on the size of the asparagus, Organic asparagus is about $4.00 to $5.00 a pound. I know this because of reseach & set up of an organic asparagus,mushroom,garlic & elderberry farm. You do not need to plant more than 6-8 inches/ 15-20 cm deep, unless you want white asparagus. I mulch my aparagus with old saw dust & small wood chips. Love you greens,( Dinosaur kale?) Love your article & I subscribed.Thanks.
I grew asparagus from seed. 2 years ago. The roots were about 12 inches in diameter when i took them out of pots. They are now in their forever home in a raised bed. Within days I started to get shoots but they are extremely thin (thick as yarn). I am in Zone 10B, Miami,Florida, USA. How can i make them thicker
thanks, but it seemed to take a lot longer than 5 minutes to plant them! I grow UC175- a cultivar out of UC Davis (I think), that seems to work here in Humboldt county, ca. I grow them in raised beds, and they’ve done pretty well so far, except that I absolutely must have a slug-proof barrier all around the bed; I use hair, coffee grounds, and copper (where I can) to deter them.
I realise now I haven’t planted enough crowns, some questions please? I’ve planted mine in a raised bed (due to rabbits) they are 5 years old, there is no more room in the bed, I need to plant more can I move the existing crowns and if so at what time of year? I have a problem with rabbits but they dont touch my strawberries, if I plant at ground level do I need to protect from rabbits? White asparagus if lovely sweeter, I believe all you need to do is exclude sun light, has anyone done this and how did you do it? Thanks
2 Questions =D 1) I’m a VERY NEW gardener… so…um…When should I be planting Asparagus ? =9 (he said when to harvest, but not when to plant =D) I would assume that I plant in February, been as this was when the article was made, but I want to be sure…as asparagus plant lives depend on it !!! =9 2) I only have a very small space to garden in (around 10ft by 15ft) and; because I share a garden, I have to grow in containers, so, if I adapt this method a little and create a mount with a round trench, and plant one asparagus per nice-size container, will this work ??? (omg I hope so, because I LOVE Asparagus !!!) I did also initially have a third question…but I cant for the life of me remember what it was ROFL (I’m clever like that =9)
My soil us hevey clay and rocks. I grow jersy night (23 yrs old) and purple passion(about 5 yrs old). Both do well in my soil and cold winters. I harvest until spears are no smaller than my little finger. If you start getting small harvest don’t harvest for a year. Large harvest will resume and plants will live and produce almost forever
I am so sorry, I have listened carefully, but not able to understand what’s you are saying about fertilizing ! Can you please tell me what it is that you are recommending for your fertilizer please ? Otherwise, I thank you for your information ! I am paralyzed from a motor vehicle accident, but very determined to get Asparagus to grow for me ! Thank you again for your article !
I’d subscribed before you’d finished saying bee keeping! exciting 😍 I didnt know i liked asparagus until recently as id always had it overboiled or from a can ugh! its s different vegeatable freshly steamed or even raw. 😍 thanks for the tips ive been harvesting mine in the first year 🤔 so will cease. cheers
I live in South Africa, I had esparagus for three years, the plants were doing very well I stuck all the rules of harvesting them. Then in the spring of the fourth year only one plant came up. I thought there was a problem with the soil so I moved it to another area of the garden, about twenty meters away. It also died. I bought seed, got them germinated . Planted them out. The following year not one plant survived. The water they get is rainwater. Our winters aren’t too cold, temperature minus two or three. Days are sunny, temperature ten to fifteen degrees . Soil sandy loam . I add cow manure. If anybody has advice, I’d would appreciate it
I LOVE the idea of perennial vegetable plants — most vegetable plants are not, to my disappointment. I will try now; however, I am already in my late 50’s and declining physical health, so I am sad again that I possibly won’t be able to enjoy the full harvest in time before I have to make another major change in life. I remember eating white asparagus as de rigueur and thinking green asparagus strange when I was a child, not knowing that white asparagus even much more luxurious than the green one. I have come to realise when an adult what a very privileged environment I grew up in… (sigh) Youth is wasted on the young. Isn’t asparagus considered the “king of vegetables”?
Hey I have a much lazier way to grow awesome asparagus. Just invite Tony O Neil round from UK Here Wwe Grow and tell him to get planting. Just grab a deck chair and a beer and watch haha Thats Awesome Tony. Totally agree about leaving them 1-2 years to get established. My nan says her Asparagus was planted in the 70s and has only ever replaced about 10 plants. That is serious value for money. Even if you spend a hundred quid on 20 plants from the garden center its money well spent and will more then pay for its self many times over the years.
U didnt mention, if you grow from seed, it will take 4yrs, you did not tell anyone where to get 3-4yr roots, please do a follow up article, for those that have the ability for production, people living in the city just can’t do it …leave some links in the description 4 people…thankyou, hope this helps
I am afraid I do not agree with some of what he is saying here and I usually agree with him. However, this has some very bad advice. I did exactly as he said and those fronds did NOT shade out the weeds. I now have an asparagus patch full of perennial Dock. I have to pull it out almost daily. This year I was not able to and lost my whole crop. Don’t be fooled there is a lot of upkeep asparagus if you have any perennial weeds in your soil. I am sorry but I think he is giving a false sense of what is involved. I should have mulched and not assumed that the weeds would be shaded out. And weeded much more often. Where I am it is a huge amount of work. Now my only option is to wait until winter and try to salvage the roots if I even can dig out all the Dock to the bottom and replace the soil or find another location. So disappointed.