How Do You Start Growing Asparagus

You start growing asparagus by planting crowns or seeds in a sunny spot with well-drained soil.
 
It’s a long-term commitment since asparagus takes a few years to establish before you can harvest.
 
But once it gets going, a well-tended asparagus bed can produce spears for 20 years or more.
 
If you’ve been wondering how to start growing asparagus, the good news is that it’s simpler than it sounds.
 
In this post, we’ll walk through how to start growing asparagus, from picking the right spot to planting crowns the right way.
 
Let’s dig in.
 

How Do You Start Growing Asparagus?

Growing asparagus starts with choosing the right planting material and location.
 
You can start growing asparagus from seeds, crowns, or even transplants.
 
Most home gardeners prefer crowns because they shave a whole year off the waiting time.
 
Here’s what each option looks like.
 

1. Starting Asparagus From Crowns

Crowns are one-year-old root systems that you can buy bare-root or potted.
 
This is the most popular way to start growing asparagus because it’s faster and more reliable.
 
You plant crowns in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked.
 
Soak the crowns in water for an hour before planting to rehydrate them.
 
Then dig a trench about 12 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep.
 
Set the crowns 12 to 18 inches apart with the roots spread out and the buds pointing up.
 
Cover them with just 2 inches of soil at first.
 
As the spears grow, keep filling the trench back in until it’s level.
 

2. Starting Asparagus From Seeds

Growing asparagus from seed is cheaper but slower.
 
You’ll need to start seeds indoors about 12 weeks before your last frost date.
 
Sow them in moist seed-starting mix and keep the soil around 70°F.
 
Seedlings take 2 to 3 weeks to sprout and need bright light to grow strong.
 
Once they’re a few inches tall and the weather warms, harden them off and transplant.
 
When you start growing asparagus from seed, expect to wait an extra year before harvesting.
 
That’s the trade-off for saving money on crowns.
 

3. Picking the Right Spot

Sun and drainage matter more than anything else when you start growing asparagus.
 
Choose a spot that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of full sun each day.
 
Asparagus roots rot easily in soggy soil, so make sure the ground drains well.
 
Raised beds are a great option if your soil is heavy clay or stays wet.
 
Also, pick a permanent spot because asparagus doesn’t like being moved.
 

How to Care for Asparagus While It Grows

Once your asparagus is in the ground, care is mostly about patience.
 
Here’s what keeps a new bed healthy.
 

1. Watering and Weeding

Give your asparagus about 1 inch of water per week.
 
Deep watering encourages strong roots, while shallow watering does the opposite.
 
Keep the bed weed-free, especially in the first two years.
 
Weeds steal nutrients and can smother young spears before they emerge.
 
Mulch helps suppress weeds and keeps moisture in the soil.
 

2. Feeding Your Bed

Asparagus is a hungry plant, so feed it well.
 
Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring before spears appear.
 
A light feeding after harvest also helps the ferns recover.
 
Compost is a solid choice if you want to keep things organic.
 

3. Letting the Ferns Grow

After harvest season ends, let the spears turn into tall, ferny stalks.
 
Those ferns feed the roots through photosynthesis all summer.
 
Never cut them down early, or you’ll weaken the bed.
 
Wait until they turn brown in late fall, then cut them back to the ground.
 

4. When to Harvest

When you start growing asparagus, you can’t harvest in the first year.
 
In year two, you can take a few spears for a couple of weeks.
 
By year three, you can harvest for 4 to 6 weeks, and fully after that.
 
Snap or cut spears when they’re 6 to 8 inches tall.
 
Stop harvesting when the spears get thin, which signals the plant needs to rest.
 

So, How Do You Start Growing Asparagus?

You start growing asparagus by planting crowns or seeds in a sunny, well-drained spot.
 
It’s a long-term commitment since asparagus takes a few years to establish before you can harvest.
 
But once it gets going, a well-tended asparagus bed can produce spears for 20 years or more.
 
Hope this post has helped you with how to start growing asparagus and the care it needs to thrive.