Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
There is so much to love about asparagus from it’s succulent deliciousness to it’s longevity in the garden. Belonging to the Asparagacea family and being related to Yuccas and Hostas, this European native is found to be a great diuretic that is also rich in antioxidants that aid immune system and liver health.
It’s spear shaped stalks which we enjoy eating so much not only provide us with all kinds of health benefits but also are simple to grow and can bring a great return on investment with the proper planting.
Due to their perennial nature, asparagus plants can thrive for periods of over thirty years! We highly recommend adding them to your garden and perhaps with your other vegetables such as tomatoes which they can thrive so well with.
It is best to plant your asparagus outdoors in the early spring when all chances of frost have passed. Well-drained loamy or sandy soil with a neutral pH is perfect for the plants. Also, full sunlight areas are best for asparagus growth.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
When it comes to picking the varieties of asparagus which you plan on growing, contacting your local nursery should give you a good idea of what asparagus growing options you may have in your zone.
We recommend the Mary Washington asparagus plant for it’s adaptability to a wide range of climates. Also, keep in mind that one asparagus plant produces several shoots(sometimes even up to nine shoots!) so keep that in mind when considering how much you will want to be harvesting for the years to come.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The two most common problems that take away that excellent return on investment from your asparagus plants are preparation and harvesting too early. You will want to be selecting your planting spot with a sense of permanence because once they’re well established, your asparagus plants will take a long time to be ready for harvest and will be difficult to move. With those things in mind, here are the most simple and efficient steps to planting asparagus crowns.
Asparagus Planting Instructions
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Step 1: Till away any weeds from your planting location and prepare your raised bed or trench with a couple of gallons of compost and manure along with mixing in some fertilizer.
Preparing your soil with these large amounts of organic mixes before even planting will help provide an abundant source of nutrients and fertile soil for the years to come which your asparagus plant will love.
Step 2: Have your raised bed at least a foot high or your trench a foot deep because when planting asparagus roots, you will find that they run very deep and need plenty of space to establish themselves. As for the width of your bed or trench, at least 2 feet should be sufficient space to allow for the root spread.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Step 3: Check your asparagus for disease by cutting some of the larger storage roots and looking for any discoloration. A nice bright white color indicates they are perfectly healthy and ready to be planted.
Step 4: Separate your asparagus bundle which they usually come in and plant them accordingly with similar plant sizes next to each other. Plant them by flattening their roots with the crown on top and space them about a feet and a half apart.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Step 5: When it comes to covering up your asparagus crowns, you can either add an inch or two of soil every couple weeks as they begin to sprout or cover them all up at once. Either way is perfectly fine and entirely up to your preference.
Step 6: Layer on an inch or two of mulch along with top dressing with compost and water in well until the soil settles.
Planting Asparagus Seeds
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If instead you’ve decided on growing your asparagus from seeds, simply get a potting tray and fill it up with good organic potting soil. Then poke holes where you will be planting the seeds, plant them, firm it over, and water well. Then firm again with your hands to rid of any air bubbles. Within the month, germination should occur and roots should develop. When you can see roots coming from the bottom of the potting tray, that’s the signal for when you can transplant them into the garden or a bigger pot.
Asparagus Plant Care And Reminders
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Be sure to keep your plants well-watered in their early weeks of maturity and feed them a well balanced fertilizer when they begin to produce shoots. Even though asparagus spears are fast growers, you’ll have to wait for about 2 and half to 3 years to harvest them.
As we stated earlier, a common problem amongst asparagus growers is that they get too impatient or excited to harvest and this takes depletes their plants of a lot of energy reserves. Also, when it becomes time to harvest, be sure to not harvest more than twice within the same year as harvesting anymore will stress these sensitive plants.
When their foliage begins to yellow around autumn time, simply cut the stems down to ground level and layer on some manure and compost for their next growth cycle. We also need to remind you that the red berries which some asparagus varieties produce are not edible and are in fact poisonous to humans when ingested so please be wary about this!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide on asparagus planting and would appreciate hearing about your experiences with this plant or if there any questions you may still have, we would love to hear from you in the comments below!