Growing Asparagus

Aspargus officianalis : Asparagaceae / the asparagus family

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

(Best months for growing Asparagus in Australia - sub-tropical regions)

  • P = Plant crowns
  • Easy to grow. Plant as crowns. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 20 - 40 cm 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

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04 Jul 19, mark (Australia - temperate climate)
i live in a frost prone area reg minus 1or 2 deg c i planted asparagus seedlings 2 year ago and 2 year old crowns about a month ago i mulched with a good layer of suger cane mulch it is early july and the shoots on my older plants are emerging we had another frost today , my questing is should i just leave them or should i trim them of to prevent frost damage to the plant
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05 Jul 19, (Australia - temperate climate)
I would suggest you read the article here until you understand it.
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30 Jun 19, Susan Bruce (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Is it helpful to put sea weed on asparagus plants as manure?
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03 Jul 19, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Any organic matter needs to decompose to be able to be used by plants. Sea weed is great but it needs to break down first. Compost it now so to have it ready by end of August.
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25 Jun 19, dennis leavesley (Australia - temperate climate)
what Fert. do you use on your asparagus
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26 Jun 19, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Try using composed manure or compost. Any general fert would do. The ferns that have grown the last 6-8 months have put a lot of energy into the crown to supply nutrients for the coming crop.
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18 Jun 19, Florence (Australia - arid climate)
We planted our asparagus in summer and although it is winter now, the ferns are still green. There wasn't any berries in autumn, Do we have to cut off the ferns or just leave them to die out?
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24 Jun 19, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Don't water them from now until late August and then cut them.
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05 Jun 19, (Australia - tropical climate)
Thanks Mike. My crowns are at least 5 years old but the spears are not all that thick. I'm just out of Mackay so I dont think I have been giving them enough attention.
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07 Jun 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Good draining soil. Cut old ferns off, early to mid August. Apply some compost 4-6
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Showing 111 - 120 of 338 comments
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Thanks John - Better to explain my position. I had planted out crowns last year (in a raised boxed garden bed) and had some berries fall on the crown and on the soil next to the crown. Also on the soil outside the box. This year in Sept the berries germinated. I transplanted the very small seedlings to the garden bed next to the boxed bed. This a red soil - can become very wet when we receive 2-3-6 inches of rain in a day. Also it is exposed to the sun, rain and wind. From the experience this year I know now I should have put them in pots and protected them a lot more. A few weeks ago I transplanted the smaller ones into pots and placed near a tree for some shade and protection. Today I transplanted them back to the garden and constructed a shade cloth cover for them to protect them from the sun. I have done this as we are going away for 7 days and my daughter will forget to water them and they will probably all die.

- Mike

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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