When to Plant Asparagus?
updated: February 16, 2011
Asparagus takes two to three years to mature.
Asparagus is one of the earliest crops to be harvested in spring. The vegetable is hardy and performs well in cool climates. Asparagus plants that grow in well-planned garden beds can produce spears up to 30 years, according to University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension. Plant asparagus in an area where it will not be disturbed by daily cultivation activities.
- Plant 1-year-old asparagus plants, or crowns, as soon as the soil warms until June 1. Dig furrows 12 to 18 inches wide and 9 to 12 inches deep. Place the crowns in furrows 7 to 10 inches deep in loose soils and 4 to 6 inches in heavier soils. Space the crowns 18 to 24 inches apart. Cover the crowns with 2 to 3 inches of soil and tamp to firm around the roots.
- Start asparagus seed indoors in peat pots three months before the last expected frost date. Transplant seedlings when they are 12 weeks old. Or, sow directly to the soil by setting seed ½ inch deep and 2 inches apart in rows as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. The plants will need to be thinned out when they grow larger.
- Asparagus plants take two to three years to mature. Harvest spears started from crowns the second year; harvest spears started from seed the third year. Initially, cut spears daily for two to four weeks in May or June. Gradually increase the length of the harvest to eight weeks in subsequent years.
- Plant asparagus in full sun and deep, sandy loam soil. Asparagus prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Asparagus grows best in a planting bed enriched with blood or bone meal, compost, leaf mold or wood ash. The soil benefits from a spring application of balanced fertilizer, such as 13-13-13, at a rate of 3 to 4 lbs. per 100 feet of row space the first three seasons.
- Allow spears that emerge after July 1st to grow into fern-like stalks. The tall stalks gather energy to store in the roots over winter. This energy reserve ensures the plant has enough food for next year's crop. Allow the fern-like growth to remain over winter. Or, cut the stalks to 2-inch stubs after the first frost. Add a layer of mulch to protect the plants.
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