Asparagus Growing and Harvest Information
| Temperature | |
| Germination | 60-85 F |
| For growth | 60-70 F |
| Soil and Water | |
| Fertilizer: Heavy feeder. Apply compost to first year beds in autumn, and again after harvest in spring. Beds may need P and K before planting, and N afterwards | |
| Mulch: Use straw or light material during winter and remove in spring. Use compost during growing season | |
| pH | 6.0-8.0 |
| Water | heavy |
| Measurements | |
| Planting depth | 8-10" |
| Root depth | >4' |
| Height | 3-8' |
| Width | 2-4' |
| Space between plants | |
| In beds | 12" |
| In rows | 15-18" |
| Space between rows | 3-4' |
| Harvest | |
| When spears are 3/8" thick and 6-8" high, cut 1/2" below soil surface. Heads should be tight and spears brittle. Stop harvesting when stalks are <3/8" thick | |
| Companions | |
| Incompatibles: Onion family, weeds during first 6 weeks of growth | |
Where
to Grow Asparagus:
A perennial vegetable that thrives almost anywhere in the
continental United States except where summers are exceptionally long and humid.
Proper soil preparation before planting and good summer maintenance
will keep this vegetable yielding for a minimum of 10 years and
possibly as long as 15 or more. Because it takes up permanent
garden space, it should be given a specially designated spot.
It is often planted near rhubarb, another long lived garden
perennial.
Asparagus Varieties:
Mary Washington and Waltham Washington are both excellent rust resistant varieties.
Soil for Asparagus:
The best soil is sandy, well drained loam, heavily enriched with well-rotted manure and compost. Ground prepared in this way dries out quickly in early spring, to spur the early growth of the spears. The pH should be about 6.5. Average garden soil, however, will support a good asparagus crop, provided it drains well. Rocky New England soil hampers the development of strait spears. Fertilization application: 4 pounds of 5-10-10 per 100 square feet, or generous quantities of bone meal or ground phosphate rock and wood ash.Planting Asparagus:
As soon as the ground can be worked. Plan on an average of 10 plants per person. Plant in a sunny spot protected from the wind.
How to Grow Asparagus :
Slow way - Start with seed, which requires 1 month to
germinate. To hasten germination a bit, soak the seed for 2
days in water. Plant them 1/2 inch deep in rows 2 feet wide.
Thin the seedlings to 3-4 inches between plants. These
seedlings should grow for a summer, and the following year the
'yearlings' should be transplanted to the permanent asparagus bed.
Fast way - Buy year old plants, or 'crowns' from the seed
store. They will have compact buds with masses of supple
dangling roots. Plants are set out in trenches dug to a depth
of 6-8 inches and spaced 4 feet apart, in the prepared soil bed.
Mound the soil to the side of each trench, as it will be used to
backfill as the asparagus grow. Set the asparagus crowns in
the base of the trench with 18 inches between the plants, and cover
with about 2 inches of soil. As the asparagus tips grow the trenches will be filled in gradually until they are
completely filled by the end of the summer. Asparagus plants
have a tendency to rise as they grow mature, hence the need for the
trenching method of planting.
How Asparagus Grows:
The roots will spread horizontally rather than down, and in years to
come will produce a thick mat of roots and underground shoots.
The first year after planting the spears will be spindly and thin.
As they mature, they develop into tall, ferny branchlets quite
lovely to see. The true asparagus leaves have been reduced to
the triangular scales on the spears which are cut off when the
asparagus is cut for cooking.
There has been some thought that the male plants tend to produce
more spears, but this has not been rigorously proven. The
ferny top growth is actually producing food for the shoots below in
much the same manner as bulb foliage renews a bulb underground for
next spring's flower. For this reason, asparagus foliage
should not be cut down too soon near the end of the season, but should be
allowed to wither off naturally. It can be cut down or left
standing at the end of the season.
Cultivating Asparagus:
Weeds are the biggest problem with asparagus since they offer too much competition for the developing shoots, and in an untidy asparagus patch they can develop very quickly. Frequent cultivation and light mulching are good preventatives. First cultivation should be in early spring, before the spears appear above ground. At this time, lightly apply fertilizer, preferably well-rotted manure, to each plant, and continue cultivation until the tops have grown too high and thick to manage with a shallow hoe. Also, watering is extremely important any time there is lack of adequate rainfall during the growing season. When harvesting has been completed, feed the asparagus bed with a well balanced fertilizer to encourage a generous crop of succulent spears the next spring.
| Storage Requirements | ||
| Storage requirements: Wrap spears in moist towels or stand upright in a glass of water, then refrigerate in plastic bags. Blanch before freezing | ||
Fresh |
||
| Temperature | Humidity | Storage Life |
| 32-35F | 95-100% | 2-3 weeks |
Preserved |
||
| Method | Taste | Shelf Life |
| Canned | Good | 12+ months |
| Frozen | Excellent | 12 months |
| Dried | Fair | 12+ months |
Harvesting Asparagus:
The succulent tenderness of asparagus depends on the quality of the
soil, the rapidity of shoot development in spring, and adequate soil
moisture. No harvesting will occur the first year plants are
set out, a few spears may be cut the second year, and full harvest
will be available the third year. At full harvest year,
cutting may last for 4-6 weeks, depending on the growing season and
how well the asparagus plants have been managed. At the
beginning of the harvest period, spears may be ready 2 or 3 times a
week. They are tastiest when just about 6 inches tall and
tight at the tip, not spreading. At the height of the growing
season there may be fresh spears to select each day. Harvest
stops when the spears begin to look thin and spindly. Stop
cutting when hot summer weather comes.
There are two schools of thought on cutting. One is to cut the
spears off with a sharp knife just at ground level to avoid
damaging any underground roots. A simpler method is to snap
the spears off at ground level.
Asparagus is similar to corn in that quality deteriorates soon after
picking. For best flavor, pick it just before it is to be
cooked. If this isn't feasible, refrigerate it promptly.
Asparagus Pests:
Asparagus beetle: Handpick
Diseases for Asparagus:
Rust has been virtually eliminated by the development of rust resistant varieties.
