\u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Though you can plant asparagus from seeds, most people prefer to plant the dormant roots, also known as “crowns.” Plant your asparagus roots in the spring, care for them carefully, and they will provide stalks every spring for the next 20 to 30 years! This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. How to Plant Asparagus Plant crowns deeply to protect them from the cultivation needed for annual weed control. Dig a trench a foot deep and 18 inches wide. You can buy sphagnum moss at a nursery or online. Asparagus crowns (the root system of a young asparagus plant used to start new plants) can be ordered by mail in late winter. Two weeks later, add another inch or two of soil. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Asparagus Planting Time. With an all-male variety, 25 plants are usually adequate for a household of four; double that amount for standard varieties. Dig trenches that are about 6 inches wide and 6-12 inches deep. Starting asparagus from one-year-old crowns gives you a year’s head start over seed-grown plants. Soak the seeds for two hours before planting. Start seed indoors 12 to 14 weeks before the last frost. The plants are only about 6 weeks old and they already have impressive root systems. If you want 10 pounds of asparagus per year, you would need about 25 asparagus plants. When tiny flowers appear, observe them with a magnifying glass. Combine your compost, fertilizer, or other organic matter, and create mounds with it about 18 inches apart. You may wish to use asparagus as an ornamental in your landscape and plant where the bed is in line of sight. If you want to grow white asparagus, which has a slightly milder flavor than green asparagus, blanch the spears by heaping up soil or mulch over the bed before they emerge. Work in well-rotted manure to the bottom of the trench and cover the base with a 5cm (2in) layer of the excavated soil. Healthy asparagus foliage is necessary for good root and spear production. Start by digging a trench that’s about 10 inches wide and 10 inches deep. But be prepared, this is no ordinary vegetable crop. Weed out all female plants. Rock phosphate is a good addition to the mineral mix. To plant asparagus crowns, dig trenches 12 inches wide and 6 inches deep (8 inches in sandy soil) down the center of the prepared bed. You should plant the seeds at a depth of around a half inch. Seeds are sown in a production bed and allowed to grow for a year. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. To grow asparagus, plant in a location with good drainage. The most common way to plant asparagus crowns is in a trench. Work 3" of composted manure and other organic amendments into the top 15" of the bed. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. When planting asparagus, soil preparation is very important. Pick off any red berries that may appear on female asparagus plants. Water regularly during the first two years after planting. Choose the spot you will grow your asparagus carefully. However the grower’s patience is generously rewarded by early season harvests of asparagus with a flavour you will not find on store shelves anywhere. They need to be set someplace warm — warmer soil temperatures can help speed up germination time. If your asparagus bed does become infected by disease organisms, your best option is to start a new bed in a distant part of the garden, using newly purchased or grown plants. Asparagus does best in cooler places with long winters, though it can grow in most places. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. % of people told us that this article helped them. Dig a shallower trench in clay soil, about 6 inches (15 cm) deep. Asparagus plants can produce harvests for up to 30 years (or more), so choose a spot where the plants can be left undisturbed and will be out of your way. The young plants have compact buds in the center (crown), with numerous dangling, pencil-sized roots. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Mound the soil on the sides, so you can add it back in later. References. This plant takes time to grow, but the results are well worth it. Planting asparagus seeds is an exercise in patience, but one of the most rewarding of all garden tasks. Then plant your plants and as the summer goes on and the asparagus … wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. wikiHow's. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20705621/how-to-grow-asparagus/, https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/growing_asparagus_at_home, https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/growing-asparagus/7343.html, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Asparagus does best in lighter soils that warm up quickly in spring and drain well; standing water will quickly rot the roots. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. One that will occupy the same space for 20 years or more. Soak the crowns in compost tea for 20 minutes before planting. How to grow asparagus – planting asparagus Asparagus can be raised from seed, but the most reliable method is to plant one-year-old dormant plants called ‘crowns’ in March. Growing your own asparagus is so worthwhile. Fill the bottom of each trench with 7cm (3") of well-rotted manure or garden compost to help feed the plants in future years. Asparagus Seeds germinate slowly, and the crowns take three seasons before they can handle being harvested. Have you ever wanted to learn how to grow asparagus? Stick to an all-male asparagus variety if high yield is your main goal. The top of the crown should be approximately 6\" below the soil surface. It is quite easy to have a very small piece of land from the backyard, yard or from the terrace dedicated intended for gardening. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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