Growing Asparagus

Aspargus officianalis : Asparagaceae / the asparagus family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S                  
        T              

(Best months for growing Asparagus in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Easy to grow. Plant as crowns. Best planted at soil temperatures between 61°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 16 inches apart
  • Harvest in 2-3 years. Plant 'crowns' to harvest earlier .
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Parsley, Basil, Nasturtiums, Lettuce
  • Avoid growing close to: Garlic, Onions, and root vegetables

Your comments and tips

27 Jan 22, Lori (USA - Zone 9b climate)
I planted Asparagus last year. It has done very well and I fertilized,mulched when need to , or cut ferns when need. My question is, at the end of December, a few Asparagus began popping up, and tips purple. Is it ok for them to pop up that early?
28 Jan 22, Anonymous of Bundaberg (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You generally cut ferns off end of Winter and pick new spears for 2-3 months in the Spring, then let the ferns grow again to feed the crown for the following year. If the weather is warm enough they will keep sending up new spears until end of Autumn. I just cut mine off for a quick feed over the last month of summer. Mine are 5-6 years old. I'm in Australia - sub tropical.
22 Dec 21, Vicki (USA - Zone 7b climate)
What are the best asparagus to grow in Zone 7b, Virginia by the Bay.
28 Dec 21, Elisabeth (USA - Zone 7b climate)
I have a patch of purple passion which are tons sweeter than asparagus and they are great producers! We also have a patch of tried and true Millennium. We planted 10 crowns of each about four years ago, and they are enough for our family of 4 with some to spare. I'd love to freeze some and I'm thinking about starting a second patch of about 20 crowns to have some for preserving. Also, remember that when you plant your crowns, you don't harvest from them for two years. Just let them go to fern. They are quite lovely in a herbaceous border with other perennials. These are a gift to your future self! :)
23 Dec 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Google what varieties you have in the USA and try one or ask at a nursery.
08 Dec 21, KrC (USA - Zone 10b climate)
Hello. I planted a bed of asparagus last year and they grew beautifully. I did not harvest any stalks and the bed is full of ferns. I live in Los Angeles, where the weather has stayed quite temperate, even though it is now December, The ferns are still green. I'm concerned they may not die back fully in our climate. Can I cut the ferns down before they brown without harming the plant?
11 Dec 21, (USA - Zone 6b climate)
I stop watering in mid Autumn and cut my ferns off end of Winter. This gives them time to die off. The first year I watered and fertilised through winter.
24 Nov 21, pete Basabe (USA - Zone 12b climate)
Hi, Something is eating my asparagus below the soil line. The new shoots are being hallowed out like small caverns below the soil line. This quickly weakens the shoot and then it dries up and dies. The only insects I can find are small (1/4 in) round black beetle like insects that live in the dirt around the new stalks. The full grown stalks do not seem to be affected by these little guys. Any ideas? Thanks, Pete
18 Mar 22, Nancy Spencer (USA - Zone 9b climate)
Sorry you're having this problem Pete. Here in Florida, we have something called pocket gophers. They burrow underground, leaving occasional piles of dirt at the surface. They feed off of the roots of vegetables. I am berrying fencing all around the perimeter, 1 foot deep, to prevent them getting in to my asparagus. It should stop the bunnies too! Don't know if this help but I wish you luck in solving this.
07 Nov 21, Pam (USA - Zone 10a climate)
I have purple asparagus, about a 7 year old bed. I read to only harvest spears that are larger than a pencil, but if I do that the smaller ones turn into "bushes" and hide the larger spears. Is this the correct way to harvest and grow? Question 2: I read to only harvest them for a certain number of weeks and then when they start getting pencil thin, to stop harvesting. but this seems like such a short harvest season, and the plants still want to produce. It is as if my asparagus bed is bushy more than it is in the productive mode. Is this correct? Can I continue to harvest longer? Question 3: Can I plant the poisonous red balls and they will grow into new plants? I thought my old plants would reproduce, but my bed seems to be about the same annually. I just don't feel like a confident grower, and the sources I read don't seem to provide information specific enough for my needs. thank you
Showing 31 - 40 of 78 comments

Where can I purchase seeds or crowns for Martha Washington asparagus?

- Betty

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