Planting Guide
Asparagus
Location and Selection
Asparagus need a lot of sunlight to produce good spears. They
are best grown in an area that receives full sun. There are
many good varieties of asparagus. 'Mary Washington' has been
a popular variety for many years because of it's thick, straight,
dark green spears and plentiful harvest. Or consider a "male"
variety such as 'Jersey Giant'. Male varieties produce more
spears per plant. They also do not produce fruit so they don't
drop any seed which can become an invasive nuisance.
Planting
When
preparing your asparagus bed you are building the foundation
for many years of production. Take the time to work the soil
to a depth of 1 foot or more and add plenty of decomposed organic
material like Soil Pep, Compost, or Sunshine Peat Moss.
Many people plant their asparagus in furrows. Make the furrows
4" to 6" deep and approximately 4' apart. Space the
plants 12-18" apart down the furrow. When planting, spread
the roots out in a circular fashion and place them in the trench
so that the top of the crown is at the same level as the bottom
of the trench. You will need to dig a little deeper in this
area to get the roots settled in. As the season progresses,
gradually fill in the furrows until the soil is level with the
ground surface. This way the crowns develop well below the soil
surface and aren't as likely to be injured by spading and frost.
Some people prefer to just plant their asparagus in rows in
the garden and not in furrows. Plant them very shallowly, just
covering the buds at the top of the crown with soil. This works
fine, but you have to be careful not to damage that shallow
crown when cultivating.
Maintenance
Cultivate and water as necessary. The plants will develop a
fern-like foliage, which in turn is building up a large amount
of reserve energy in the roots. In very early spring, the dried
brown ferns should be cut down to ground level. To encourage
heavy top growth and thick spears, follow a twice-a-year feeding
program. Make one application of a high nitrogen fertilizer
such as Bookcliff Gardens Choice Pro Turf Food in early spring
before spears appear and again in late spring once the harvest
is completed.
A mature plant produces about 20-25 edible spears per season.
Good spear production depends on good fern growth, so be sure
to take care of your bed after harvesting has been completed.
Continue to cultivate, irrigate and watch for pests.
Harvesting
No cutting should be done the first year. Allow the plant to
grow and build itself up. During the second year, only a few
stalks should be removed. The third year after planting, you
should be able to really start harvesting asparagus. The weather
plays an important role in determining when your asparagus will
be ready for harvesting. Start checking in mid to late April.
You may begin cutting whenever spears reach three-eighths inch
in diameter. Thinner spears should be allowed to grow into ferns.
Snap or cut the stalks off just below the soil surface. Do not
leave stubs because these will jab your fingers when making
future harvests.
As the root reserves are depleted, the stalks will get thinner.
When all stalks that are being produced are three-eighths inch
or smaller in diameter, it is time to stop harvesting. All spears
must now develop into ferns. This will ensure the maximum yield
for the following year.
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Bookcliff Gardens
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755 26 Road (North 1st at I-70) • Grand Junction, Colorado 81506
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