How to grow an abundance of asparagus

Gardening

Mar 25

Did you know asparagus in raised beds produces nearly 2x as many spears per plant as in a traditional garden? And as the plants mature, the more asparagus spears you get!

Earlier this year, as the weather allowed, we moved our asparagus bed to its new location. It’s important to move asparagus when it’s still dormant. We even shared some of the asparagus plants with our grandchildren, Alyssa and Jared, as they venture into growing their own garden. (Jared helped Ron procure the asparagus and all its massive roots… not an easy task!)

All our raised beds are 4 ft x 12 ft. For growing asparagus, we ensure there is a minimum of 12 inches of deep, rich soil. We treat asparagus like its gold, and with our family it is. As the daughters drop by throughout the asparagus-growing season, they’re always on the lookout for fresh cut asparagus, so it doesn’t last long.

Tip: Asparagus likes rich, well-drained soil that contains lots of compost or organic matter. It should be fertilized twice a year (once in the early spring and one more time when the harvest season is over).

We mulched our new asparagus bed with leaves; we’ll remove those once the asparagus starts poking through. Then we’ll mulch again in the fall with leaves for overwintering.

Tip: Asparagus typically loses when it comes to the battle of weeds. So take time to control the weed population in your asparagus bed throughout the entire summer. A raised bed will help alleviate a good portion of the weed problem, but not all of it.

To start a new asparagus bed, put 6” of compost or leaves in the bottom and cover with 3-4” of dirt. Lay in the bare roots about 12-18” apart. Fill the bed with dirt and cover with leaves. When the asparagus springs up, remove the leaves and watch it grow!

Jersey Knight Hybrid is a great asparagus with good flavor and texture, plus it produces a lot of spears. You can get it from Amazon. Our recommendation is to splurge and purchase the 2-year plants. This will ensure you get asparagus sooner than later. Getting younger plants means waiting longer to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Tip: Interplanting parsley and basil, along with the tomatoes, in close proximity to asparagus is also said to repel asparagus beetle. (Source: Gardening Know How)