Asparagus is a perennial plant meaning it continues to come back each year from its roots. Every spring, following the melting snow in its native regions, shoots emerge offering a food source before nearly any other plant is available for consumption. This typically ranges through the entire month of April Sometimes a few weeks before and a few weeks after. Asparagus produces for 6-8 weeks if it is continuously harvested. If the shoots are let to go too long, they develop into beautiful plants resembling ferns.
Asparagus cultivation all starts out with picking the best spot. Sandy loams are ideal, but any well-drained soil will work. If a sandy area is not available, it can be prepared. Although asparagus will generally tolerate any soil and is quite versatile, it would be best to give it an ideal location. Full sun is preferred but a slight amount of shade will still produce quality yields. When a location is thought of, think about somewhere for the long term. Asparagus will continue to produce for the next twenty-five years, even beyond that.
Now that the specific place is selected, time to think about the structure of the planting bed. Dig trenches about one foot deep, as long as desired in length. These are known as furrows. For this example, we will dig five, ten-foot rows. Orientation does not need to be too specific; any direction will be just fine. Use some quality compost or topsoil to mix in with the soil beneath your trenches, maintaining a one-foot depth from the surface. As asparagus grows through the first year, it is wise to continually cover the base of asparagus plants with fresh soil, filling in the furrow back to ground level. The reason for this is to ensure survival through the first winter when the plants are most fragile. Planting them lower and slowing cover up the stem as it grows creates a favorable depth for winter survival. Soil deeper in the earth holds a more consistent temperature when cold weather approaches during winter months. If cold winter temps are not an issue, it is still a favorable option to prevent your plants from getting dug up or destroyed from surface damage.
There are two options for starting plants, seeds or crowns. Seeds are straight forward as to how it works. You start the seeds and there are a variety of ways to go about this, this will be covered in detail shortly. Crowns are a cutting from the roots of a mature asparagus fern. Crowns are taken by using a shovel and cutting off a section of the roots near the base of a plant. These crowns can then be planted in a separate location to grow another producing plant. Either option is possible, but there is one major difference. Seeds are a fresh set of genetics, they can be either male or female, and have the possibility of producing slightly different products than their parent plant, the plant they were harvested from. They will also take slightly longer to mature than crowns do, so if harvesting edible asparagus is the goal, crowns are a better-suited option. A crown is comparable to a clone of the parent plant. It holds the same genetic information as the plant it was cut from. This includes gender, age, and growth habits. Female plants produce seeds, in the form of little red berries. One of the main pests regarding the cultivation of this plant is the asparagus beetle. They tend to be attracted to the berries, however, if producing seeds for further use is a concern, it is a must to have a female-dominated field. This may cause more pest problems, something to consider when planting asparagus but don’t worry about it if just starting out.
Asparagus cultivation from seed can be done through direct sowing or a technique called the paper towel or cheesecloth method. This can also be done with a rag or cardboard, just about anything that will hold moisture over an extended period without drying out. Sprout asparagus seeds by soaking them in water for 1-2 days. Then, rinse with fresh new water. To follow, wrap the seeds in cheesecloth. Rinse with water every 6-8 hours for 2 days, make sure to never let the cheesecloth completely dry out. Finally, place the sprouted seeds into a container filled with well-drained potting soil. This will produce the most consistent results and prevent loss. If starting plants in pots, it would be a good idea to get this going in early spring. Starting the plants indoors will give them a jumpstart on the season and allow for a bit more production in the years to come. Directly sowing seeds consists of exactly what it states, directly placing the seed in the trenches and slightly mulching the surface, making sure to keep moisture consistent until plants have sprouted and established themselves. Once plants become established there is no need for further care. These plants are hardy and survive nearly all conditions. Freely water if desired for the first year, it will allow for better establishment of the root system in dry years. Seed spacing for asparagus is one to three feet apart, this is highly dependent on how dense of a field is desired. Two feet is the ideal spacing if planting in rows and creating a field based on consistency. If ten-foot rows were desired, there would be 6 plants per row at two-foot spacing.
Fields planted from crowns will produce faster harvestable stalks, no doubt about it. Typically, the following year after planting, a few spears per plant. The third to fifth year is when things really get going. When planting from crowns, it is advised to allow the plant to fern out completely the first and second year, offering extra energy storage and a well-established root system. This will allow for a substantially higher harvest the third year. If purchasing crowns, instruction is straightforward. Separate the crowns, they are usually joined together with a tie or rubber band when purchased from most sellers. Sellers will recommend soaking the crowns in water for one to two days. This is quality advice and will get everything moving along nicely. This is totally optional however, if it’s the springtime and rain is consistent, then it would be unnecessary. It really has to do with when the planting process will occur. If 2-3 year-old asparagus crowns are purchased in the spring but need to be transferred to another location in the fall, temporarily bury the crowns at least six inches deep in a large container or plastic bag of loose soil and then water them as usual. The crowns will grow and stay alive. Then, in the fall, dig them out and transplant them elsewhere. In six months, the crown will still be alive after digging them out and can survive intercontinental flight if kept moist. Be sure to let them have some air during the flight (do not wrap them in airtight plastic).
Cutting crowns is a simple process if there are asparagus plants growing at a nearby location. Maybe a friend has some asparagus plants or maybe there are some growing wild. Sometimes cutting crowns from wild plants is a wonderful option. These plants have most likely been around for decades and the genetic quality is substantial. It is best to cut crowns in the early spring before plants have started growing or the late fall when the plants are beginning to go dormant. This way the plants’ growth is not disturbed, and the crowns are in a “sleeping” stage. To further the production of elderly asparagus plants, it is advised to cut crowns from them because it frees up stored energy that would otherwise be wasted. This is due to the limited space; a plant can only get so large until the energy available in that precise location becomes limited. Think of it as an exchange of favors, clearing out some space for an elderly plant and in return receiving fresh productive crowns that are ready to plant.
After planting is completed, raise the soil back to surface level over the spring period. Be sure to mulch the bed with straw, leaves, or natural wood mulch by the start of summer to around three inches deep. Stay away from colored mulches when used near edibles and gardens. The mulch layer will provide superior water retention and further protect the plants from changing temperatures in the surface soil layer. Providing an extra layer of mulch right before winter is another great way to ensure production the following year.
Planting asparagus is a smart choice due to its low level of maintenance and long years of production. Five to ten plants per person would produce a substantial amount of asparagus and allow for extra harvest available for freezing, pickling, and use in soups. In the years to come, it is important to harvest the asparagus for at least a four-week period, otherwise, the work invested will become a bit wasted. Unharvested asparagus will quickly branch out into ferns and the opportunity to harvest edible spears will be lost for that season.
Foraging, cultivating, and using asparagus for a sustainable food source has been a part of family tradition for generations. This crop has offered one of the earliest available springtime food sources in cold climates and was import for the survival of native peoples. Give it a go and plant some asparagus, not just for consumption, these plants offer exceptional cover for beneficial insects as well. Make asparagus a must-have addition to the backyard, a garden staple providing benefits for generations.