Asparagus is one of the first plants that greets us in springtime! It’s a perennial, which means that once it gets established, the tender spears will return year after year. In addition, its ferny foliage makes an excellent ornamental. Here’s how to grow asparagus—from planting through harvest!
About Asparagus
Asparagus can be grown in most temperate regions, but grows more robustly in cooler areas with long winters. The edible part of the asparagus plant is the young stem shoot, which emerges as soil temperatures rise above 50°F (10°C) in spring.
The most important thing to know about asparagus is that you really should not harvest it during the first couple of seasons. These plants need to be allowed to get established before you can harvest sustainably. The patience is well worth it, though, as asparagus beds can be productive for 15, 20, sometimes up to 30 years.
Because asparagus stays productive for so long, it’s important to plant the best variety available for your area. (See recommended varieties below.)
If you are starting asparagus for the first time, we would plant 5 to 10 asparagus plants per person (15 to 30 feet of row).
How Long Does It Take to Grow Asparagus?
As said above, newly-planted asparagus plants may take 2 to 3 years to truly get started and produce, so patience is needed! After they’re established, however, asparagus can be productive for decades.
In addition, asparagus plants are fairly fast producers, sending up new spears every few days for a few weeks in the spring. The plant produces ½ pound of spears per foot of row in spring and early summer, so we think it’s definitely worth the wait.
Reader Comments
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Winterized asparagus in Henderson, Nevada
I live in Henderson Nevada. At the end of December I trimmed the brown ferns leaving the stocks approximately two inches above ground and covered them with mulch. To my amazement I have spears that are now growing well beyond the mulch they were covered with. One spear shot up to approximately 18-24 inches the others are 4-6 inches tall. Is this normal for the spears to continue to grow and can you eat them? I thought cutting them back and mulching for winter causes them to go into dormancy. Your advise is appreciated. Thank you
Gratitude for this site!
Suburban gardener, I planted 11 feet of Mary Washington, and same of Purple Passion (boring color when cooked) about 17 years ago. It makes me VERY happy!!! Just me to feed, so occasionally my neighbors get some. I was just wondering how long I must wait until I fold down the ferns, but you've given me the answer: I can CUT is short (I don;t know why my habit has been simply to fold it down) and use it for mulch after I put down the compost I have planned for it. (Thank you for THAT tidbit!) Problem with straw is that it never rots..... Many thanks. My initial information came from the Ag department of the U of TEXAS!!! Your outline and suggestions above are better presented and clearer.
Aspargus and weeds-weeds in aspargus?
What can I use to keep weeds out of the aspargus bed?
to minimize weeds . . .
Mulch. Or hand pick the weeds.
My Asparagus Question
I am so sorry for the multiple submissions. I didn't think my question was being "saved." Again, my apologies.
Little fern-like "things" growing near asparagus crowns
I'm wondering if these ferny growths (currently around 3-4 inches high) are new future asparagus plants and if I should allow them to continue growing. Perhaps they are just weeds. Some have emerged on the pathway side of the crowns, so I have removed those. However, some of these little fern-like "things" are growing two feet on the other side of the crowns. I have not removed those yet. I have thirteen crowns in their third year. This is our first year harvesting. We have been pleased with production so far and have enjoyed asparagus side dishes at meals for about 5 weeks. I'm thinking it might be time to stop harvesting. A few stalks got ahead of me and are already 4 feet high and getting the expected ferny foliage.
little ferns
They may be future stalks; let them be. You’re right; it is about time to stop picking. You could lay on some mulch and prepare to set stake poles and string around the bed (like a simple fence) so that when the ferns become top heavy they do not fall to the ground.
Asparagus
I have a wonderful asparagus bed that is 5-6 years old. I have little fern like things coming up around each crown. Separate and very different than the spears of asparagus. Are they weeds or part of the plants ?
tiny ferns
These are part of the plant.
Asparagus
I have a half dozen plants in my garden they are doing well and we were able to harvest some this is the third year. My issues is the ferns, they are so tall they fall over and cover the path and what is growing the next row over. Can I trim them back some?
falling ferns
You would do well to leave them. Set a long sticks or bamboo poles into the dirt on the corners and a couple/few on the sides. Run string around the poles and around the asparagus bed (not the plants) at about four feet high (or higher, there is no magic formula) to keep the ferns off the ground. This is not a fancy fence; this is a temporary (annual) sort of “framework” to support the ferns. They might lay over on the string and that’s ok. When you cut the ferns later in the year, put away the poles and string for next year.
salt
can you add salt to asparague bed to help
No Salt
No, that would not be beneficial to the asparagus—in fact, it would likely harm the plant.
Question from "R"
It is early. If you added that much material you added days to the emergence calendar. I bet you will see spears within 10 days.
That being said, IMO, the time to add compost to the bed is fall, not spring.
Added soil
The Asparagus bed I have has plants of 2 and 3 years of age. We had a decent harvest last year but I felt they needed more soil. So this spring around the 1st of April we added approximately 3 to 4 inches of soil mixed with compost and also added a heavy layer of straw. It is now the last day of April and I do not see any asparagus coming up. What could I have done wrong? and at this point what can I do to correct it? Thank you
Badly bowed/bent spear; new crowns and a novice gardener
I recently planted asparagus crowns for the first time. The first spear to come up from any of them was brutalized by wind and frost (and most likely my well-intentioned, but poorly executed insulating row cover). Now it's a pitiful bent thing. I tried to support it with twine and stakes (which I've heard are recommended later in the season for ferns anyway), but it looks like it is beyond hope.
Should I snap/cut it to encourage a new spear to come up - or just let it languish?
Thanks!
Bent Spear
As long as it isn’t entirely broken, it will still develop into a fully-fledged fern and be able to soak up the sunlight, which is the sole purpose of letting the spears develop. For now, just support it with stakes and twine as best as you can. The plant should send up more spears soon enough! If the bent one starts to look like it’s rotting, then you can remove it from the plant, cutting the spear off at the soil.
Bermuda Grass in Asparagus Bed
I just took over an old garden bed in Central Texas, and learned that the garden wasn't tended last year. The raised asparagus bed is clogged with Bermuda grass, and right now the asparagus spears are beginning to come up. Since Bermuda grass chokes most anything out, how can I eventually take out the Bermuda grass without destroying the asparagus?
Asparagus bed
We planted 20 plus roots last year in a proper prepared bed, had 3 shoots last year. Thinking this year more would appear but no luck. Can it take a couple years or more before we get more shoots or do we need to replant?
harvesting asparagus
how long can you harvest asparagus in a well established bed?
Year three
This is my third spring since I planted my asparagus and I only got three shoots. Every year they seem to get bigger and bigger and I leave them all summer, but they aren't multiplying. The plants reach over six feet tall and are a solid inch thick at the base. I planted the crowns three different places around the property to determine the best spot. All locations are the same only three or four shoots.
3yr asparagus stalks
I had the same thing happen but my understanding is that year 3 after planted from seed will be a sparse crop over s 2 wk period. Each future year the crop increases in volume as plants develop.
Dead asparagus
My 30 year old carefully maintained and productive asparagus did no t come up this year. The old crowns are just doing nothing underground. Scattered volunteer babies are growing well enough around the bed edges. But the fat spears from the original plants are just gone. Do these plants finally reach an age where they just die? The patch was planted at 2 separate times so there were a couple of varieties. They all died. Any ideas?
no spears
What a disappointment! Certainly 30 years is a good run, and by most estimates near the max, but it’s hard to believe that all of the crowns would fail from age all at the same time. The plants could be diseased, with fulsarium wilt or a rust. Cornell U is a reliable source of info on this; scroll or search this site for specifics re diseases: http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/AsparagusInfo.htm You could also inquire of Cornell’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/contactus.html or consult the folks at the cooperative ext nearest you: https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services
asparagras
have you heard of salting your beds to control weeds ?and what do you think of this practice
save the salt
This has been a question for centuries. The belief a hundred years or so ago was that it improved production or, at least, controlled weeds. Today the thinking is that salt on an asparagus bed is not beneficial. It can form a crust that impedes was absorption and can actually harm the plants. Save the salt for the dinner table. And go lightly.
Asparagus
Why do they cover the asparagus fields with foil in europe?
foiled again
No idea. Where did you see or learn of this?
Transplanting Asparagus
I planted crowns this spring and now have new ferns about two feet tall. I planted the crowns about a foot apart in my raised bed and want to remove every other plant so remaining plants will have proper room to grow and I can share plants with my neighbor. How and when can I dig up the plants and transplant? Do I go through the winter with typical cutting back dead ferns and mulching then dig up entire plant in the spring to transplant?
fall growth of asparagus
We have cutback our asparagus and have warm temps still. I now have 12 inch tall growth in my plot. Do I wait till brown or should I keep it mowed?
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