I’ve been gardening for a long time, but I didn’t always grow asparagus because I didn’t want to dedicate a garden bed to a long-lasting perennial crop. But over time, I realized I was missing out on one of nature’s best gifts.
Home-grown asparagus is unsurpassed in flavor and sweetness, and it’s downright beautiful too. The tall, ferny leaves look great against other plants, especially if you have female asparagus plants that make little red berries that hang like decorations. You can roast, steam, sauté, or blanch asparagus, and to make it taste better, you can add butter, garlic, lemon, or lemon juice. If you want to grow asparagus in your garden, here’s everything you need to know.
You can also get a copy of my “How Do I Grow Asparagus?” sheet for free and keep it close by for future use.
Though attractive, those red berries on female asparagus plants pull energy away from productivity. Plant breeders have created varieties of asparagus that are only male and are therefore higher yielding so that an asparagus patch can produce more spears.
One of the most unique things about asparagus is how long it lasts. Asparagus patches often keep growing tasty spears 20 years after they were first planted. That’s a great return on investment.
Most gardeners start their asparagus from crowns, which are roots that are one year old and have buds on them. You can also grow asparagus from seeds. Usually, they come in packs of 25. Once they are established, 25 crowns will produce 20 pounds of spears every year.
Growing asparagus from crowns or seeds can be a rewarding endeavor for any gardener. However, it does require patience as it takes 2-3 years before you can begin harvesting. So what does first year asparagus look like as it grows? Here’s a guide to identifying young asparagus plants and what to expect that first season:
Asparagus Seedlings
If starting asparagus from seed, the first signs of life will be tiny seedlings emerging These look similar to any grassy plant seedlings
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Slender green blades just 1-2 inches tall at first.
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Sparse, thin foliage. Not full and bushy yet.
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upright growth habit
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Can take 10-14 days to germinate depending on soil temperature
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Susceptible to diseases and pests at this stage. Use row covers.
Asparagus seedlings need about 8-10 weeks to grow large enough to transplant outdoors. Give them lots of light and gentle care when handling.
Transplanting Young Plants
Before transplanting, asparagus crowns or seedlings may look like:
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Small bunch of stringy roots with no foliage. This is normal.
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If leaves are present, cut them back to 2 inches.
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Soak roots in water 1-2 hours before planting.
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Dig trenches 6-8 inches deep for crowns.
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Spread roots out evenly and cover with 2 inches soil.
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Water gently to settle soil without disturbing roots.
Early Spring Growth
In spring, 1 year old asparagus will start to grow rapidly. Watch for:
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Bleached white or light purple spears emerging from soil.
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Tightly furled tips at first, opening to pointed heads.
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Spears grow up to 8 inches tall quickly.
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Eventually ferns out with delicate, lacy foliage.
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Spears skinny, around the diameter of a pencil.
Do not harvest any spears the first year even if large enough. Allow them to fully ferns out to build energy for next year.
Mid to Late Summer
By mid summer, first year asparagus turns its energy to roots and foliage:
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Ferny foliage 3-4 feet tall.
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Does not produce seeds first year.
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Underground crown enlarges.
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Extensive fine, hair-like roots continue to grow.
Allow all foliage to mature and die back naturally. It can be cut down in late fall or early winter once fully dried. The asparagus bed is dormant throughout winter.
What to Expect Second Year
The second season is when you may begin to harvest asparagus lightly:
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More spears emerge in spring, slightly thicker than first year.
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OK to snap harvest a few pencil-sized spears for 2-4 weeks.
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Allow at least 80% to keep growing into ferns.
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Ferns taller and bushier than first year.
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Patience will pay off with much fuller harvests in years 3+!
Summary of First Year Growth
To recap, here are the key points in an asparagus plant’s development the first year:
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Seedlings grow thin, grassy foliage at first.
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Transplant young crowns or seedlings in trenches.
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Pencil-thin spears emerge and quickly fern out by mid spring.
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Lacy foliage fills out through summer.
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Roots expand underground.
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Foliage dies back completely in late fall.
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No harvest first year!
Understanding what to expect that first season and resisting the urge to harvest will ensure your asparagus crowns establishes well for many years of abundant spears to come! Proper care those first 2 years lays the foundation for a thriving asparagus patch.
Where, When & How to Plant Asparagus
Because asparagus grows back every year and can produce for twenty years or more, you need to be very careful about where you put it. As the year goes on, the plants will grow tall, fern-like leaves, so put them somewhere that gets full sun and where the growth won’t block other plants. A spot on the north side of the garden or somewhere else they can grow without being touched for years is best.
The soil pH should be neutral — somewhere between 6. 5 and 7. 5. Plants will be able to get more nutrients from the soil when the pH is just right. If you need to, your local cooperative extension will do a soil test to tell you the pH level and how to change it. A soil test will also let you know if any micronutrient deficiencies exist.
Refraining from planting seedlings or crowns outdoors until the soil temperature has reached 50°. An inexpensive soil thermometer can give you a quick reading.
If you don’t live in a very warm area, you should plant crowns from fall through winter. Otherwise, plant them in early spring.
Always plant crowns in 5 to 8-inch deep holes with the buds facing up and the roots spread out. Planting shallow is safest in heavy soil. Plant deeper in colder climates. Allow 8 to 14 inches between crowns and 3 to 6 feet between rows.
Don’t backfill furrows to the soil surface immediately after planting. Instead, only cover with 2 to 3 inches of soil when you plant, and then slowly fill in the furrow with soil as the spears grow longer.
Garden asparagus is all the same species, Asparagus officinalis. Asparagus comes in many varieties that can grow in both cool and warm climates and are resistant to diseases in different ways. Asparagus stalks may be green, purple, or green with purple tips.
Most asparagus is green because of chlorophyll, and some types have purple tips or whole spears because of anthocyanin. A lot of people in Asia and Europe like “white asparagus,” which is actually green asparagus that has been covered in soil or mulch. Because the spears were denied sunlight, they did not green up and are also more tender.
Erasmus is the first all-male purple asparagus. The flavor is sweeter than the average asparagus and the texture is more tender. It’s designed for a mid-early harvest and grows in zones 3 to 10.
Guelph Millenium is an all-male variety developed at the University of Guelph in Ontario. It’s cold tolerant and very productive, and the solid green spears are tasty. The RHS awarded it the Award of Garden Merit, and it can grow in Canada and the northern US.
Jersey Giant is part of the Jersey series of all-male asparagus varieties. It has medium to large green spears and attractive purplish bracts. This variety is cold-tolerant and resistant to rust disease.
Jersey Knight has large green spears and uniform size. It grows well in most climates and is highly resistant to rust. It’s more tolerant to fusarium than other varieties.
Jersey Supreme is high yielding with slim green spears. A good variety for cool and warm regions, it’s also resistant to rust.
Mary Washington Improved is an open-pollinated green variety that tastes just as great as its predecessor but has more spears and tighter tips. It’s can’t tolerate high heat, so cut spears before the temperature goes above 70°.
Pacific Purple is a British asparagus that is flavorful and high yielding. It has very thick, deep purple spears. If you grow it from seeds, the first harvest will happen in 750 days. Pacific Purple is rated for zones 3 to 9.
Purple Passion has large-diameter purple spears that are sweeter and more tender than green varieties. It emerges later than green varieties, which can be an advantage in avoiding early frost damage. The purple fades when the spears are cooked.
Spartacus is an all-male hybrid variety that is green with purple-tinged tips and more productive than Jersey varieties. Spears are consistently long — more than 9 inches. This variety is adapted for both cold winters and warm summers.
It’s important to water asparagus evenly and regularly all through the growing season, but especially when you first plant it. Avoid overhead watering, as getting the foliage wet can invite pathogens. Apply water at the ground level only. Putting down mulch will help plants keep water between waterings and will protect the leaves from soil-borne diseases.
Asparagus grows really well with drip irrigation because the plants and the irrigation tubing can stay in place for a long time. Drip irrigation will keep the soil consistently moist during the growing season.
Asparagus appreciates a steady supply of nutrients from well-rotted manure, compost, fish emulsion or a balanced organic fertilizer. Applying organic mulch will also provide nutrients to the soil.
As perennials, asparagus plants will be growing and producing for years. To make sure plants are productive from season to season, make sure they have access to key resources during their active growing time.
How to Start Asparagus from Seed
If you do decide to go the seed route, use pathogen-free seed from a trusted source. If you keep asparagus seed in the right conditions for three years, it will still grow, but it will grow best the first year.
Asparagus seeds should be started 12 to 14 weeks before the last frost date of spring. For faster germination, soak the seeds in water for a few hours before sowing. In a clean seed-starting medium, sow seeds a half-inch to three-quarters-inch deep. If the seed-starting medium stays between 60° and 85°, the seeds will start to grow in eight to twelve days.
Keep the seedlings under a grow light from the moment they sprout. Otherwise, they will stretch out in search of sun. Start hardening off the asparagus seedlings ten days before you plan to plant them outside. This will help them get used to the weather. On the first day, put them out in the sun for just an hour. On the second day, increase the time in the sun to two hours. Daily add an hour, and when the hardening off time is over, the plants should be ready to be moved to full sun.
What Does Asparagus Look Like & When Does it Sprout? – MFG 2014
FAQ
What does asparagus look like when it first starts growing?
What do I do with asparagus the first year?
Should I cut my asparagus the first year?
Why do you not harvest asparagus the first year?
How to grow asparagus?
To grow asparagus, plant it in most temperate regions, particularly in cooler areas with long winters. The edible part of the asparagus plant is the young stem shoot, which emerges as soil temperatures rise above 50°F (10°C) in spring. Here’s how to grow asparagus—from planting all the way through to harvest!
When can I harvest a crown of asparagus?
Asparagus can be harvested the year after planting the crowns. With crowns, you can begin harvesting small amounts. Asparagus plants are dioicous, meaning they are either male or female. While female plants tend to produce larger spears, they produce fewer of them.
When can you harvest an asparagus spear?
In year four and onwards, you can harvest asparagus spears from May or June. Harvest when the spears are five to eight inches tall and have a diameter larger than 3/8 inch. Finally, in year four and onwards, you can harvest asparagus through May or June.
When should I plant asparagus?
Asparagus is typically planted in early spring from roots or crowns. Planting from seeds is an option, but it will add several years to your wait. Most people find it easier to grow asparagus from early spring crowns, which are widely available.