How to Grow Asparagus

Asparagus is famous for its ability to make your urine smell, as Mark puts it, “like teenage boys socks” but regardless of that, it’s a fantastic vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked and used in a range of different ways. Low in calories and high in fibre, Vitamins C, A, K, E, and Folate, asparagus is a fantastic source of antioxidants and has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, improve digestive health, lower blood sugar, reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, support your immune system, and may even help you sleep better and lose weight!

When to grow asparagus

Asparagus is a perennial plant meaning it will come back year after year. It tends to die back during winter so the ideal time to plant is spring when soil temperatures are around 23-27°C or 73–80°F so the plants get plenty of time to establish before winter returns.

Asparagus varieties

There are few different varieties of asparagus you might like to consider but remember that they take a long time to establish so if you are a first timer, you might prefer to stick to the classics. Some of the varieties include:

· Mary Washington – a good, solid, classic, green variety that was created in 1919

· Purple – as the name suggests, the spears on this variety are a purple colour

· Connover’s Collossal – heirloom variety from 1873 producing extra large spears

· Argenteuil – an early producing, heat-tolerant, heirloom, white variety with purple tips that go white when steamed

How to grow asparagus from seeds

Whilst seeds can be direct sown, it’s a good idea to start seeds in a seed-raising tray where you can protect them a little more from the elements while the seedlings are young. Sow the seeds around 10mm or around half an inch deep and cover them over with soil before giving them a light water. Continue to water frequently to keep the soil moist but not wet. Seedlings will begin to emerge around 14-21 days after planting.

How to grow asparagus from seedlings

Choosing your location is super important for asparagus as it’s a perennial plant that will last 20 years or longer! Ideally you don’t want to be disturbing the plants down the track as that can

affect your yields so be sure to choose a spot that you are happy to have it in for decades to come.

Raised garden beds are perfect for growing asparagus in – it ensures good drainage, and you can fill them with quality soil. Birdies garden beds [LINK to discount codes] are Mark’s raised beds of choice.

Plant out each seedling 30cmm or 12 inches apart to allow plenty of room for the plants to grow. Lightly water the seedling in with a seaweed solution such as the Plant Doctor’s Seaweed Secrets (use SSME10 for 10% off your order) to minimise transplant shock.

Mulching the garden bed that you plant your asparagus in is a great way to keep the moisture in the soil and protect your crowns although it may give you the odd crooked spear as it has had to push through the mulch layer.

Asparagus is relatively low maintenance so provided you keep them watered regularly, there isn’t much else you’ll need to do other than give it a feed of good organic fertiliser such as blood and bone, aged chicken manure, or seaweed solution every now and again.

The hardest part is waiting for the plant to mature enough so you can start harvesting your spears!

How to grow asparagus from crowns

Rather than growing from seed, you can purchase asparagus crowns that are already a year or two old. This is ideal if you want to speed up the growing process so you can start harvesting sooner. You may even know someone with some mature crowns that might be willing to give you some.

To plant out your asparagus crowns, first prepare your garden bed and then you can either dig a hole and “bung it in” which will work fine or you can create a mound with a trench either side of it and lay the crown on top of the mound with the roots coming down either side into the trenches. Then you simply cover over the whole crown with soil around an inch thick and water it in with a seaweed solution.

As mentioned above, mulching your garden bed is a great way to keep the moisture in the soil and protect your crowns from extreme temperatures.

How long does asparagus take to grow?

Growing asparagus is a long game. Most varieties will take 2-4 years to start producing spears that are big enough to harvest. Planting crowns will speed up this process by 1-2 years depending on the age of the crowns.

When to harvest asparagus

You may harvest the odd spear here and there while they are smaller if you can’t wait but when your plant is properly matured, you’ll be getting spears around the thickness of your pinkie finger and you can simply cut them off at soil level and away you go.

Mark’s top tips for growing asparagus

Asparagus has a deep root system (one of the deepest in the veggie family) therefore it can be prone to root rot in heavy soils even if the topsoil layer is good if there is clay underneath it will cause problems. If heavy soil might be a problem, grow on mounds at least 50cm high or in raised garden beds and this will ensure free-drainage. You may also want to check out Mark’s video “5 Top Tips How to Grow a TON of Asparagus in a Raised Garden Bed Container” for more tips.

How did you go growing asparagus?

Mark and the Self Sufficient Me team love hearing about your growing success so leave a comment and a photo below to let us know how you went growing asparagus.

If you had some trouble growing asparagus or simply want to pick Mark’s brain about your self-sufficiency goals or projects, you may want to consider becoming a patreon for exclusive content and email access for less than a restaurant meal each month!