Growing Asparagus: Getting to the Root of the Matter

Did you know that asparagus is a perennial, rejuvenating itself each year? If you properly tend to your asparagus bed, you can yield spears for 15 years of more!

Site Selection: Asparagus thrives in loose, rich, well-drained soil. For raised beds, amend with lots of compost. When choosing your planting site, choose an area in full sun on the north end of the garden. The tall ferns that take over the plant in the summer might otherwise shade out nearby, lower growing vegetables.

Planting: Planting asparagus 18” apart in trenches, 8” deep and 12” wide. Spread the roots out in the trench and cover the crowns with 2 or 3” of soil. As the plant grows you will need to cover the crowns of new growth with soil. You should continue to do this until the trench is filled. Water the plants weekly if it doesn’t rain.

Care/Harvesting: New plantings take patience. In order to have a long lived crop, you need to wait until the following year for a harvest. The plant needs to develop into a fern so the foliage can nourish the growing roots for future protection. The second and third year, harvest lightly, perhaps only taking a few weeks’ worth of spears. Plants that are harvested too soon can become weak. During year 4, asparagus can be harvested for 6-10 weeks in late winter and early spring.

When the spears that are coming up are smaller than the width of a pencil, stop harvesting. Allow the growth to develop into summer foliage. Water and fertilizer are important during this stage. When foliage turns yellow and brown in early winter, cut them off at the base, just about ground level.