Asparagus...an early spring cool weather crop!

There aren't many perennial vegetable crops, vegetables you can plant once and harvest for many years to come. Looking forward to the first tender, pencil sized spears of asparagus poking through in the garden is a rite of spring. If you thought you didn’t like asparagus, you haven’t tried it freshly picked. Asparagus is one of the few perennial vegetable crops. The shoots are picked as young spears in the spring. Later in the season the foliage matures into an airy, fern-like cloud which changes to a golden color in the fall. Because asparagus takes up a permanent place in the garden, but can be an attractive plant, many people with space imitations use asparagus as a border or hedge plant.

You can grow asparagus either from seeds or from crowns. Asparagus crowns are really just the base and roots of a one-year old plants. Most people find it easier to grow from crowns, which are readily available in the spring. Unlike many plants, the roots on asparagus crowns can withstand some air exposure and you will usually find them for sale loose. They should still look firm and fresh, not withered or mushy.

When and How to Plant Aspargus

In warmer climates crowns can be planted in the fall. Early spring is the preferred time for cooler climates, about 4 weeks before the last expected frost date. Crowns can handle some frost because they are below ground. Asparagus is usually planted in rows, since you are going to dig trenches to plant them in. Start with a tench that is about a foot deep and 1 ½ feet wide. Working some compost into the bottom of the trench will get your plans off to a good start. Then make small mounds, about 6 inches high, along the bottom of the trench about every 18 inches. Spread the roots of each crown over the mounds and fill in the trench until the crowns are covered with 2-3 inches of soil. As the plants begin to grow, you can gradually fill in the remainder of the trench.