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EmailBotanical name: Asparagus officinalis
Plant type: Vegetable
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sun exposure: Part Sun
Soil type: Sandy
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Asparagus is a perennial bulb and stem vegetable that greets us every spring. It may take 2 to 3 years to get started and produce, so patience is needed! But then the plant can be productive up to 20 years, so we think it's worth the wait.
Asparagus has male and female plants, with the female plants producing berries. Regions with cool winters are best for this cool-season crop.
Planting
- Asparagus is planted in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. The plant is grown from "crowns" (1-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.
Pests
Harvest/Storage
- Asparagus can take three growing seasons to harvest; you may be able to lightly harvest during the second year.
- For the following years, maintain the bed as in the second year and harvest only the spears thicker than a pencil.
- Cut spears that are about 6 inches in length at an angle.
- Asparagus freezes well.
Recommended Varieties
- White asparagus is not a variety, but simply asparagus grown in the absence of sunlight to prevent chlorophyll from developing. White asparagus is slightly sweeter, but has less fiber than green asparagus.
- Purple asparagus is bred to be purple in color, but turns green when it is cooked. Purple varieties tend to have thicker but fewer spears.
Recipes
- Asparagus Salad with Peas and Toasted Almonds
- Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
- Asparagus Souffle
- Lemony Asparagus-Dill Soup
- Quick Spring Pasta
- Asparagus Frittata
- Asparagus Casserole
Wit & Wisdom
A pinch of baking soda in the cooking water keeps beans, spinach, and asparagus greener.
Comments
Why does most of our
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By dakota garden on June 18
Why does most of our asparagus grow into ferns right away? We have very few spears to cut. The patch is 6-8 years old.
It sounds as if it's too warm
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By Almanac Staff on June 19
It sounds as if it's too warm where you live. To get good spears each year, the root system needs to store food from the previous year (through the ferns, etc). If it's warm or there are poor growing conditions, spears will be smaller the following spring. Over time, you'll get less and less spears each year. You always want to leave the ferns to help spear production. Also, it's important to divide asparagus roots during the winter into individual plants for replanting.
It sounds as if it's too warm
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By Almanac Staff on June 19
It sounds as if it's too warm where you live. To get good spears each year, the root system needs to store food from the previous year (through the ferns, etc). If it's warm or there are poor growing conditions, spears will be smaller the following spring. Over time, you'll get less and less spears each year. You always want to leave the ferns to help spear production. Also, it's important to divide asparagus roots during the winter into individual plants for replanting.
i planted a 2 year old crown
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By Kayla on June 17
i planted a 2 year old crown i have 2 small foot tall ferns directly above it and another fern 2 feet away where water pools
can asparagus be planted this
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By William Ort on June 17
can asparagus be planted this late in the year. Late June or early July,or am I better to just wait and plant next spring Thank You
Odds are not in your favor
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By Almanac Staff on June 18
Odds are not in your favor now. Plant next spring. Set out seedlings when they are 12 to 14 weeks old, just after your last spring frost. Or, start with asparagus crowns (dormant roots of 1-year-old plants) to eliminate years of headaches that come with starting from seed.
I planted Mary
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By klo74 on June 14
I planted Mary Washington(female) asparagus roots a little over two weeks ago (May 29, 2013). I dug a 6" trench and laid the crowns down and covered them with 2" of soil mixed with a little sand. I haven't seen any spears yet. How long does it take before I start to see something? I live in PA and we have had a rainy couple of weeks. The temperature has been in the 70's. The water has been draining through the trench. Thank You!
You should start to see
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By Almanac Staff on June 17
You should start to see spears in a few more weeks. Rain or temperature may affect when they emerge--make sure there is good drainage. If nothing comes up for a while, you might check a crown or two to see if it has rotted or looks diseased.
(Do not harvest any spears that appear during the first year after planting; allow them to develop into ferns, so that the plant can produce food to help it to become established. The second year, harvest lightly. Third year onward--harvest normally.)
I have a great asparagus bed,
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By T. Lynn on June 14
I have a great asparagus bed, and we have enjoyed much good foods, from it, however, I need to know about whether the fern is the only part to leave, or if, for example, when we were not in town, the stalks got too large, to eat, should I leave them also, or go ahead and cut them down, as well...? Basically, do both male and female plants, grow thru the fern, or is the foliage, that gets too large, as well..? I just dont want to cut the large stems down, if they are also feeding for next springs harvest. Thanx for any help as to whether it is the fern ONLY, that I should leave...?
When the recommended time
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By Almanac Staff on June 17
When the recommended time slot for harvesting is over, allow everything to grow. All stalks, whether large or small, or from male or female plants, will develop into ferns. Leave the ferns over the summer and allow them to brown and die in fall before cutting them near the ground.
Both male and female plants will produce ferns; both plants will flower. However, the female plants will also produce berries (if there is a male plant nearby for pollination). In general, female plants with berries may have thinner stalks than males because some of the energy goes into producing the fruit. Some hybrids are all-male; these usually have more vigor and produce thicker stalks.
I have inherited a mature
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By Eleanor, Dublin on June 6
I have inherited a mature asparagus patch in a newly purchased house. I have enjoyed fine asparagus for weeks now. However, I do not know how to maintain the patch OR, importantly, if I should stop cutting the crop & allow a few to grow (to provide carbohydrates for the root system). What should I do - I don't want to 'damage' the crop and / or hinder growth for next season. Help!
Our asparagus bed is about 4
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By cknight on June 5
Our asparagus bed is about 4 years old and producing well but this year we had great rains in the spring. We have little plants coming up from seed. Should I pull them up?
Female asparagus plants
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By Almanac Staff on June 7
Female asparagus plants naturally reseed the bed. Reseeding will overcrowd the established bed. You can carefully remove the seedlings and transplant them into a new bed, but you have to wait several years before you can enjoy asparagus from this bed.
Our asparagus bed is well
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By Cathy Marquardt on June 1
Our asparagus bed is well established, but the weeds are taking over. Can we rotor til the bed and then get back on top of the weeding? Or do we just need to get out there and pull? Regardless, should we be mulching to keep them at bay?
We always apply
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By Almanac Staff on June 3
We always apply well-composted organic matter to our beds before the season (mixed in with the fertilizer)--plus, several inches of deep mulching. This keeps most of the weeds at bay. However, hand pulling and mulch will not get rid of perennial weeds. You can only control by applying herbicides before the asparagus emerges and after fall frost. Check with your local cooperative extension or garden center for approved herbicides in your area. If your area is especially weedy, you may eventually have to face facts and re-set in a weed-free area.
I have mature asparagus
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By scooter b on May 27
I have mature asparagus didn't harvest some of it in time it just grew to fast and it got away from me......should I cut the ferns down or let them grow to feed the roots......just didn't know because they are about 5 years old.
The asparagus fern supplies
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By Almanac Staff on May 30
The asparagus fern supplies energy to the roots and crowns. This is needed for next year’s crop. Cut the ferns back in the fall.
This is the second year for
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By Wendy Rust on May 27
This is the second year for my asparagus plants. I harvested a batch the first week, then stopped. The asparagus continued to come but because it was only the second year, I didn't pick any more. Now I have ferns five plus feet going to seed. Some falling over. Do I stake them and wait until they turn yellow and brown in the fall before I cut them down? I planted radishes between the plants and besides pulling up great radishes I have not had a problem with weeding at all!
Leave the ferns until fall.
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By Almanac Staff on May 30
Leave the ferns until fall. They supply energy for next year's crop. Great idea to plant radishes between the rows!
So, my new neighbor had
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By Lee C on May 22
So, my new neighbor had already a few asparagus plants in her garden already. She doesn't like Asparagus and so I dug them up and planted. I know the asparagus are well over 5 or 6 years old. Now, does the 3 year rule apply for not harvesting asparagus if they have been moved recently as a week ago? There are 1 or 3 really tall spears and quite thick. Should I harvest them? Also, why are now the ferns turning yellow at the end of may in very hot weather?
If you were able to dig up
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By Almanac Staff on May 30
If you were able to dig up and transplant big roots and crowns you can harvest the spears this year. If you planted smaller root pieces let them grow a season and harvest next spring.
Yellow ferns can be a sign of transplant shock.
asparagus
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By Anonymous
i planted my asparagus crowns in spring of this year(2013) when can i harvest the spears? can i harvest them next year or is that too soon?
Don't harvest next spring.
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By Almanac Staff on May 30
Don't harvest next spring. Let the asparagus grow another year. Harvesting too soon will weaken the plants.
Ferns
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By Anonymous
Oops! My daughter just harvested everything...fern, male shoots, everything. Do you think the ferns will come back?
Question
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By Anonymous
Earlier this spring (February) I planted several crowns (DFW TX area). Only one is showing any life. Should I give up on the others or continue watering them?
Harvest them all, or leave a few?
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By Anonymous
My asparagus bed is now starting to produce shoots. Can I harvest them all, or do I need to leave a few to fern and build new roots?
second year, LARGE asparagus!
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By Anonymous
I planted asparagus crowns (Jersey) last spring, and went out to check them this spring and found one HUGE asparagus - about three feet tall, from the plant closest to the house! There are a few other smaller than this, but very large, too. Should I cut the large asparagus (second season)? I didn't know it was there and think it may have grown during the winter, since it was a mild winter and this plant is near the house and probably the soil is warmer there.
Asparagus will shoot up while
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By Almanac Staff
Asparagus will shoot up while you're not looking! It's not uncommon for the spears to grow this long. However, you need to harvest them when they are 4 to 10 inches long--or they may taste fibrous. Harvest at least every other day when they are growing.
Just snap off the spears at ground level; do not allow stubs to remain.
harvesting asparagus
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By Miriam Louise
I'm reading Nigel Slater's new vegetable book, Tender. He says to cut - not break - spears close to the crown. Mine is planted rather deep, 6" to 10" so doing that looks difficult. Also, there is a thick forest of old stalks at each plant. Should I remove those to give new spears more room to grow? If so, at what point in the growing season?
care and cutting
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By Almanac Staff
Your asparagus crown should be planted in a relatively deep trench, but as it grows you should be pushing soil into the trench until it reaches ground level. Then, in the second or third year (sources are mixed on how long to wait to harvest after planting), you cut or break (snap) off the spears (sources are mixed on the harvest technique, too) at the soil surface--not below the soil.
During the final harvest of the season, prune (cut or snap off) the remaining spears at the soil surface. However, do not cut back the ferns/foliage while it is still green; in fact, you can let it stand through the winter and cut it in the spring.
We hope this helps.
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