Asparagus Growing Guide

Asparagus officinalis

Crop Rotation Group

Miscellaneous ●

Soil

Fertile, well drained, and free of persistent weeds.

Position

Full sun to partial afternoon shade.

Frost tolerant

Long-lived hardy perennial. Beds can produce for decades.

Feeding

Mulch with 5cm (2 in) of rich compost or rotted manure every winter.

Spacing

Single Plants: 45cm (1' 5") each way (minimum)
Rows: 45cm (1' 5") with 45cm (1' 5") row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Set out dormant 1-year old roots, called crowns, in late winter or early spring. A few varieties can be grown from seed.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

After the stems die back in early winter, cut them off at ground level and compost them. Remove weeds, apply compost and mulch, and your yearly maintenance is done.

Harvesting

Begin gathering spears the second year after planting, cutting all spears that appear for a month in early spring. In subsequent years, harvest for 6 weeks each spring.

Troubleshooting

Cutting new shoots just below the surface often helps control problems with asparagus beetles, which often lay their eggs on tender shoots near the soil line.