How to Grow Asparagus and Enjoy It Season after Season

Use these tips for planting, growing, and harvesting asparagus, a long-lived perennial vegetable.

As the weather finally begins to warm up after the winter, one of the first plants to make an appearance in vegetable gardens is asparagus. Like most vegetables, homegrown asparagus is rich in nutrients and abounds in flavor. If you like to fill your springtime menu with these tasty spears, it's well worth it to grow your own. Whether roasted, grilled, or thrown into your favorite recipes, asparagus makes an elegant and nutritious addition to your plate. This perennial plant needs at least a couple of years before you can start harvesting but after that, it will reward you with its vibrant green stems for 10 years or more.

Starting with some essentials, here's how to grow asparagus successfully in your own garden.

Types of Asparagus

Asparagus is hardy in Zones 3-9, but it's best to select varieties designed for your climate. For example, 'Jersey Giant' is a good bet for northern areas with long, cold winters. In warmer regions, try 'UC-157'.

There are male and female asparagus plants. Since male plants can be three to five times more productive than female plants, choose a male plant whenever possible. Popular male hybrids include 'Jersey Giant', 'Jersey Supreme', 'Jersey Knight', and 'Jersey King'.

Planting Site

Asparagus grows best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Pick a location where your plants won’t be disturbed for years. Look beyond the traditional vegetable garden when selecting a location for asparagus. A perennial garden might be a great spot for asparagus, as would a shrub border.

Good drainage is very important for preventing root rot. If you have heavy clay soil, consider planting your asparagus crowns in raised beds.

Starting from Seeds or Crowns

Asparagus is most commonly started from established crowns purchased at a garden center or mail-order source, but it can also be started from seed. If starting from seed, plan to harvest your first crop about 4 years after planting. When started from crowns, asparagus is ready for harvest 2 to 3 years after planting.

Dig a Trench for the Asparagus Crowns

As soon as soil can be worked in spring, dig a trench in compost-enriched, well-draining soil that is roughly 6 to 12 inches deep and 12 to 18 inches wide. Soak the bare-root crowns in water for half an hour. Place them in the trench so that the root tips are 12 to 18 inches apart. from in the trench. Plant 10 plants per person, and up to 20 for asparagus enthusiasts if space is not an issue.

Cover and Water the Asparagus Crowns

Backfill the trench and firm the soil around the crowns with your hands. Water well, making sure the soil over the asparagus crowns stays level with the surrounding soil even after the soil starts compacting over time. Continue watering throughout the first growing season, especially through dry spells, to encourage vigorous root growth.

Keep Pests and Weeds Away

Asparagus beetles feed on spears and foliage. If you see beetles or their dark eggs, pick them off and drop them in soapy water.

It is also important to control weeds in asparagus beds, especially during the spring and harvest season because they can reduce your harvest. You can keep weeds at bay with a 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch applied once the shoots start to appear. Carefully hand-pull any weeds in your asparagus bed. Do not use a hoe or cultivator, as it can damage the tender roots of the plants.

Fertilize

Regular fertilization encourages a prolific crop of asparagus. For the first 3 years after planting, fertilize asparagus plantings in early spring. After 3 years, transition to fertilizing plants right after the last harvest. Apply an organic balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, and follow the label instructions.

Harvest the Asparagus

Allow asparagus to grow without harvesting the year it is planted and only harvest lightly the next two years. In the second year, you can harvest spears that are ? inch in diameter, but only for 2 weeks.

If you have an established asparagus bed, harvest the spears when they are 7 to 9 inches tall. Choose spears with tightly closed tips. You can either harvest by hand or with a knife. Use a sharp garden knife to slice through the stems or break spears slightly above soil level. Don't cut the asparagus below the soil because this may injure the buds which will eventually send up new spears. The small stub above the soil will eventually dry up and disintegrate.

Harvest for about 6 weeks. Once the spears start to leaf out, they'll become too tough to eat. Stop harvesting once the diameter of new shoots is smaller than a pencil. If you want to learn more about harvesting asparagus, check out these helpful tips.

Maintain Asparagus Foliage

After the end of the harvest season, allow the shoots to develop into ferny growth to build up the roots for the following year's crop. The foliage will grow 4 to 6 feet tall. Keep the plants watered, weeded, and mulched all summer. Starting in year 3, fertilize the plants right after the last harvest (see Step 4 ).

In the late fall, once the foliage has turned brown, usually after a few frosts, cut it back to 2-inch stubs. Gently rake away any mulch and add a 2-inch layer of compost and rake the mulch back on top. This will insulate the plants against the cold and improve the soil.

It may take a couple of seasons to start actually enjoying asparagus dishes made from your harvests, but it'll be worth the wait.

New to gardening? Be sure to check out this beginner vegetable gardening guide.

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