Every gardening season I like to try something new in my garden. Last year, I experimented with a “container friendly” okra variety perfectly suited for raised beds. It grew about 3 feet tall but produced full-sized pods all season. I’ll replant it again this summer. This spring, I’m taking on a more permanent project – establishing my first asparagus bed.
Like many gardeners, I started out growing mostly annual vegetables – the ones that give you one season of harvest like tomatoes and lettuce. Plant, grow, harvest, then start fresh next year. But lately I’ve been drawn to perennials like asparagus that keep coming back year after year. They’re a great investment for your garden since you only plant them once but get harvests for many seasons to come.
Asparagus crowns should typically be planted about 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost. This timing ensures that the crowns have a chance to establish themselves in the soil while it is still cool but warming up, which is ideal for root development. You can find your average last frost here.
Asparagus is actually one of the easiest perennials to start with, even though it takes some patience. The key is setting it up right from the beginning. I have plans to purchase a new raised bed and will fill it with rich, composted soil in a spot that gets plenty of sun. While asparagus can be grown from seed, germination can take several weeks. It’s best to purchase asparagus crowns and plant them about 8 inches deep in a furrow you create. You will want to place the crowns in a line with the roots all facing in the same direction. Plant them about 12 inches apart. with enough space between them to grow and cover with about 2 inches of soil or compost. As the spears start to grow, continue to add soil to the furrow until filled in. Be sure and mulch the plants well with straw or leaves to prevent weeds. Keep them watered regularly as the soil dries.
Fronds will begin to grow and you will leave these until they die back in late fall or winter then cut them to the ground. The fronds supply energy to the plants roots so you will have larger spears the next year.
But once established, you can harvest asparagus for 2 -4 weeks each spring. If you harvest them for too long of a period they won’t have time to grow enough fronds before dying back and you will have small spears the next year. Asparagus is one of the first early spring vegetables you can harvest. When the spears reach about pencil-thickness and are about 6-8 inches tall you can harvest them.
Ongoing Maintenance: Apply a nitrogen-rich fertilizer (like blood meal or composted poultry manure) just as the spears begin to emerge to promote strong, vigorous growth. Once you have harvested, apply a top dressing of compost to help the ferns develop which is important to insure a good harvest the next spring
Each fall add a layer of compost or well rotted manure to replenish nutrients and maintain soil health.
I hope you will consider growing asparagus this spring, but keep in mind that it will need a dedicated, permanent spot in your garden where it can thrive for many years to come.
Happy Gardening
Karen
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