How to Grow Asparagus? 5 Steps in 2 Minutes to Teach You How to Grow Tender, Fresh White Spears

Asparagus is a vegetable with extremely high nutritional value. Growing it is not complicated at all, and it can be grown in both the north and the south, in a vegetable garden or on a balcony. So how exactly do you grow asparagus? Below is an introduction to a simple, easy-to-learn and super practical asparagus growing method.

1. Choose a planting plot

Because asparagus can produce tender spears continuously for up to 25 years, you need to prepare a spot that can be dedicated to growing asparagus for a long time. This spot should have the following characteristics:

Plenty of sunlight. Asparagus grows best in full sun. Because it sprouts in early spring, choosing a spot near trees that have not yet leafed out is fine. Just make sure the asparagus roots are not shaded by trees or buildings.

Well-drained soil. The soil should be loose and drain very well. Planted in waterlogged soil, asparagus will rot.

Leave some space for the growing roots. This is optional; although asparagus grows well in the ground, it is fairly prone to letting weeds take over its root zone as it grows, which can dry the asparagus out completely.

2. Buy asparagus seeds or asparagus crowns

Asparagus seeds and asparagus crowns can be bought at home gardening stores, nurseries or online. Seeds are available year-round, but crowns are usually only sold in early spring, right before the time they should be planted.

Asparagus plants are dioecious, meaning each plant is either female or male. Female plants put their energy into producing seeds, so they cannot produce as many tender spears as male plants. Some asparagus varieties are designed to produce only male plants. If you choose this kind of asparagus, compared with choosing a mixed variety, you will only need to plant half as many crowns.

Asparagus seeds are usually not separated by sex, so female plants should be removed once they sprout.

Choose a rust-resistant variety, such as one of the many “Jersey” varieties, or the “Mary Washington” variety.

If you are buying crowns, choose crowns that look healthy; they should be grayish-brown, large and plump. Buy them about a day before planting.

Purple asparagus and other heritage varieties can be found in nurseries. You can create white asparagus by protecting the tender spears from sunlight with soil.

3. Grow asparagus from seed

(1) Sow seeds indoors. In early spring, sow some seeds in small pots; this marks the beginning of seedling growth. Put the pots in a spot with plenty of light, water daily, and keep the temperature at 77°F (25°C).

(2) Lower the temperature when the seeds germinate. Once the seeds germinate, they no longer need to be kept warm. Lower the temperature to 70°F (21.1°C).

(3) Plant the seedlings outdoors. When the seedlings reach 0.3 m tall and the outdoor weather is warm like spring, it is time to plant them out in an outdoor seedbed. Dig a hole 7.5 cm deep so they can continue to grow.

(4) Remove the female plants. When asparagus begins to flower, you can tell which are male and which are female. Male plants have long, large flowers, while female plants have comparatively smaller flowers. Pull up the female plants and compost them.

(5) Transplant the male plants to a permanent bed. Let the male plants complete their growth cycle and overwinter in the seedbed. The following spring, one year after sprouting, they will have reached the same maturity as one-year crowns and will be ready to be transplanted to a permanent bed. Continue growing the plants according to the steps below.

4. Plant one-year crowns

(1) Prepare the seedbed. Remove all weeds from the seedbed and make sure there are no leftover roots in the soil. Plow the ground and use a rake to work fertilizer such as manure, blood meal or bone meal into the soil at a depth of 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 cm).

Dig trenches for planting. The trenches should be 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) deep and about 12 inches (30 cm) wide. If you are planting many rows, leave 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 m) between them.

Form a ridge in the trench. Mix organic compost with the soil you took out of the trench, and spread 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) of fertile soil along the center of the bottom of each trench to form a central ridge.

You can also mix the soil with rock phosphate, a mineral powder that promotes root growth.

(2) Soak the crowns. Before planting, soak the crowns in a bucket of warm water or compost tea (a fortified brew paired with plant nutrients) for about 15 minutes.

(3) Plant the crowns. Place the crowns in the trench, keeping them 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) apart. Let the roots hang down in folds along one side of the ridge.

Cover the roots and crowns with soil. The soil should be mounded 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 cm) above the roots and crowns.

Water the area thoroughly after planting.

(4) Backfill with soil. As the asparagus plants begin to grow and the soil settles, add more soil over the crowns. Add 1 to 3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm) of soil over the crowns once every 2 to 3 weeks, until the trench is filled level with the ground.

(5) Mulch the plants. After the trench is filled, spread 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) of mulch around the plants. Mulching the plants helps control weeds and retain soil moisture.

5. Field management

(1) Water the plants regularly. Asparagus will mature after two full growing seasons. Meanwhile, keep the soil moist at all times.

(2) Weed. If asparagus has to compete with weeds, grass or any other plants for nutrients, it will die. Even after the plants mature, still take good care of the soil. If they get old, their roots will naturally be pushed out by weeds.

(3) Fertilize and mulch the plants. In spring, fertilizing asparagus with liquid fertilizer is important to stimulate growth. In winter, protect the plants from severe cold by covering them with straw or other mulch.

(4) Watch out for pests and diseases. Asparagus is susceptible to the asparagus beetle, which feeds on fern-like asparagus spears in summer and fall. They lay eggs on the asparagus spears. If you see beetles or their eggs, remove them.

Next comes harvesting the asparagus! Limit the first harvest to 2 or 3 weeks, pick the tender spears every few days, and be careful not to pick too many from the same plant.