How to Grow Asparagus: A Perennial Favorite for Your Garden

How to Grow Asparagus: A Perennial Favorite for Your Garden

Asparagus is a gardener’s dream: a perennial plant that keeps producing for up to 20 years! Sure, it’s a slow starter, but once it’s established an asparagus patch provides fresh, flavorful spears every spring. Whether you’re planting your first plants or upgrading an existing vegetable garden, this guide will walk you through each step.

Step 1: Picking the Right Asparagus Type

Here are several great varieties of asparagus to choose from:

• Mary Washington: A classic green variety loved for its flavor.
• Jersey Knight, Jersey Supreme, and Jersey Giant: Modern hybrids with high yields and fewer female plants (which produce seeds and can lead to overcrowding).
• Purple asparagus: Sweeter and more tender, with a striking color that turns green when cooked.
• White asparagus: Not a separate type, but green spears grown without sunlight to keep them pale and delicate.

For beginners, hybrids like Jersey Knight are the best way to start, thanks to their disease resistance and high productivity.

Step 2: Ordering Bare Root Crowns

When you’re ready to plant, order bare root asparagus crowns from a reliable supplier like Jung. Crowns are bundles of tangled roots that will wake up and grow in your garden.

Step 3: Preparing the Soil

The planting site for asparagus is crucial. This is a long-lived perennial, so the better your prep now, the happier your asparagus plantings will be for years. Follow these steps:

1. Choose a sunny spot: Asparagus needs full sun to thrive.
2. Do a soil test: Aim for a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Asparagus loves slightly alkaline soil.
3. Add organic matter: Mix in plenty of compost or aged manure to boost nutrients.
4. Ensure good drainage: If you’ve got sandy soil, you’re in luck—just loosen it up. For clay soil, add compost or consider planting in a raised bed. (Here’s how to tell what kind of soil you have.)
5. Weed control: Keep the bed weed-free—perennial weeds can choke out young plants before they get a strong start.

Step 4: Planting Asparagus Crowns

The best time to plant asparagus is in early spring, after the danger of frost has passed. Here’s how to plant:

1. Dig a trench: Make it 12 inches wide and 6–8 inches deep. Leave 18 inches between rows.
2. Amend the trench: Add compost or manure to the bottom of the trench, then build small mounds of soil 12 inches apart.
3. Place the crowns: Spread the asparagus roots over each mound, with the top of the crown pointing upward.
4. Cover gradually: Start with 2 inches of soil over the crowns. As the first shoots appear, keep adding soil until the trench is filled to soil level. This way you can establish a strong root system.

Step 5: Caring for Young Plants

Patience is key during the first growing season—you won’t harvest spears yet, but that’s okay. Focus on helping the plants get established:

• Water regularly: Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. Using drip irrigation is a great way to maintain even soil moisture.
• Fertilize lightly: Apply a balanced organic fertilizer after planting and again in late spring.
• Control weeds: Mulch with grass clippings or straw to prevent weeds and keep the soil surface cool. (Here’s how to mulch your garden.)

Step 6: Harvesting Asparagus

Finally, the reward! But don’t rush—wait until the second year to harvest a few spears and until the third year for a full asparagus harvest.

• When to harvest: Look for spears 6–8 inches tall. Harvest only in late spring for the first few years, then extend into early summer if they’re still tender.
• How to harvest: Use a sharp knife or snap spears off at ground level.
• How much asparagus: Stop harvesting after 6–8 weeks to allow the plants to grow their foliage and store energy for next spring.

Step 7: Keeping Your Asparagus Happy

Asparagus is low-maintenance once established, but a little care goes a long way:

• In late fall: Cut back the foliage to the soil line after it turns yellow.
• Fertilize: Add compost or aged manure in late winter to recharge nutrients.
• Weed control: Remove weeds regularly to avoid competition for resources.
• Watch for pests: Keep an eye out for asparagus beetles, which can damage spears and foliage.
• Plant the right companions: To maximize your space, plant some great asparagus companion plants around them.

Happy Growing!

An established asparagus bed needs little attention beyond basic care. With a little patience and love, you’ll enjoy this perennial vegetable every year, saving money and savoring your own asparagus. You’ll love the taste of homegrown spears and the satisfaction of growing a crop that keeps on giving!

Looking for more awesome perennials? Here’s a list of perennial vegetables!