How to Grow Asparagus
Do you love asparagus? Did you know it’s not hard to grow? Here’s what you need to know to get this perennial vegetable off to a great start!
Latin Name: Asparagus officinalis
Plant Family: Asparagus (Asparagaceae)
Did You Know?
Asparagus was first cultivated in Greece and Rome back to the first or second century B.C. In addition to being prized for its nutritional and medicinal value, ancient Egyptians use to make offerings of it to the gods more than 2,000 years ago.
Plant Seeds or Seedlings? Plant crowns.
When: Plant in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.
Depth to Sow: 6 inches deep in a furrow
Spacing: 1 1/2 feet apart within a row, and 4 to 5 feet between rows
Cultural Information:
While it’s possible to grow asparagus from seed, it will take 3-4 years before you can start harvesting spears. Instead, start with asparagus crowns (the main stem with roots attached), which are available at garden centers and online.
The plants are perennials, which means they’ll come back year after year. Because of this, choose a site that can be dedicated to growing asparagus. Dig a furrow that is 6 inches deep. Work some bone meal into the soil at the bottom of the furrow. Plant each crown 1 1/2 feet apart by spreading the roots out and having the central stem facing upward. Refill the furrow.
Water the plants regularly throughout the season. Keep after any weeds but be careful not to disturb the soil through cultivation. That’s because you’ll risk of damaging spears that have not yet emerged. Once they emerge, spears will grow about a foot tall, then open up and develop fern-like foliage.
Susan’s Picks: ‘Jersey Giant’, ‘Jersey Knight’, ‘Mary Washington’, ‘Millennium’
Potential Insect Problems: Asparagus beetles
When to Harvest:
As tempting as it might be, don’t harvest any spears during the first year. Let them develop because the foliage gathers energy for the roots. You have two options regarding the old foliage. Leave it in place for the winter or cut it off at the surface once they have turned golden-brown. You can begin picking spears the following spring for a period of two weeks. From the third spring on, pick spears until mid-June. To harvest, select tight spears and snap them at or above the soil level. Let unharvested spears develop and grow all season to replenish the roots.
How to Cook & Preserve:
The best way to cook asparagus is by steaming it until the spears are deep green in color and tender. To freeze some for later use, blanch spears in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, plunge into cold water, drain and place into freezer bags. They also make wonderful additions to savory dishes and asparagus spears can be pickled.
Copyright Susan Mulvihill, Susan’s in the Garden, SusansintheGarden.com.