Asparagus

Category: perennial-shoots-and-stalks

Growing

  • 📍 Zone: 4-9
  • 🌞 Sun: Full sun (at least 6-8 hours daily)
  • 💧 Water: Moderate; consistent moisture during establishment and harvest period
  • 🌱 Soil: Neutral pH (6.5-7.5), well-draining or raised bed preferred; rich in organic matter; mulch helps retain moisture and suppress weeds

Planting

  • 📏 Height: Ferns can grow 4-5 feet tall once mature
  • 📏 Spacing: 12-18 inches between plants, rows 3-5 feet apart
  • 📅 When To Plant: Plant crowns 2-4 weeks before last frost date; soak crowns in water for 1-2 hours before planting
  • 🌱 Propagation: Primarily by crowns; can also grow from seed but takes longer to establish
  • ⬇️ Depth: Loosen soil 12-18 inches deep; plant crowns 6-8 inches deep in trenches, cover gradually as shoots grow
  • 🤝 Companion:
    • 0: Strawberries
    • 1: Dill
    • 2: Basil
    • 3: Marigolds
    • 4: Parsley
    • 5: Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers)
  • 🚫 Avoid Planting Near:
    • 0: Onions
    • 1: Potatoes
    • 2: Garlic
    • 3: Areas where soil is frequently disturbed (can damage crowns)

Care & Maintenance

  • ✂️ Pruning: Not required during growing season; let ferns grow after harvest
  • ❄️ Overwintering: Allow ferns to grow and store energy; cut back only after foliage has died and turned brown or yellow in early winter; apply mulch for added protection

Harvesting & Usage

  • ⏰ When To Harvest: Begin in 3rd year (skip first 2 years to allow plant establishment); harvest spears when they are 6-10 inches tall and before tips open
  • ✋ How To Harvest: Cut spears at or just below ground level with a sharp knife or asparagus knife; stop harvesting when spear diameter becomes thinner than a pencil
  • 🥫 Preservation: Can be blanched and frozen; used fresh in culinary dishes

Ecological Info

  • 🐝 Pollinators:
    • 0: Generally wind-pollinated; flowers may attract small insects
  • 🦌 Wildlife Resistance:
    • 0: Deer and rabbits may browse young shoots