Planting Asparagus at My Farm
Our busy vegetable gardening schedule continues with the planting of four long rows of asparagus.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I already have several asparagus beds located in the back of my flower cutting garden. Every year, we harvest bunches of delicious spears. I decided to plant more asparagus in my new garden. We won't be harvesting these for at least three years as asparagus needs all that time to develop, but after that they will produce an abundant crop of spears spring after spring.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Asparagus are edible shoots, commonly called spears that rise early in the spring from underground stems called crowns. This asparagus is growing in my flower cutting garden now, where the plants are already about 10-years old and well established.
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- Every spring, we pick lots of beautiful and delicious asparagus. Asparagus is a long-lived perennial plant that has been cultivated for centuries. Asparagus, or garden asparagus, is also known by the folk name sparrow grass. Its scientific name is Asparagus officinalis.
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- Here is a trug bucket filled with asparagus from the garden. These plants can produce for 15 to 20-years and more.
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- Here are the young crowns ready to be planted. Each of these is about a year old. These are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, one of my favorite sources for seeds, vegetable plants, tools, and supplies – I’ve been using Johnny’s for years.
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- Asparagus has modified adventitious roots that swell to store food and to support the plants.
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- Before planting, Brian prepares the rows in the bed. Using stakes and garden twine, Brian measures where the four long rows will be planted.
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- Ryan secures the twine at the other end. Asparagus prefers a sunny location in well-amended soil with a pH of 7. This soil has already been fed with lime, and good, nutrient-rich fertilizers.
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- Here, Brian begins digging the trenches for the asparagus plants. Depth of planting is critical. If too shallow, the plants will produce a large number of small spears. If planted too deep, the spears will be large, but few in number. Brian digs furrows that are at least eight-inches deep and a foot wide.
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- Brian digs each furrow and carefully piles the soil in berms, which will later be backfilled over the plants.
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- There are four long rows dug in this bed – at least 18 inches apart. Next, it’s time to plant.
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- These are the long asparagus roots. Asparagus roots grow very deep because they can survive very long in the soil.
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- Ryan drops the plants into the trench one by one. We have two varieties to plant – ‘Purple Passion’, which produces attractive purple spears with a mild, nutty flavor and are reputedly sweeter than most other asparagus varieties. The other is ‘Millennium’ – a productive plant that produces high-quality spears that are tender, green, and delicious.
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- The crowns are placed about a foot apart. The root systems need lots of room to grow. The crown and root system can develop to an enormous size – about five to six feet in diameter and 10 to 15 feet deep.
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- Here they are lined up in the trench.
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- Next, Brian positions each plant. With the bud upright, he splays the roots as best he can.
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- Here is a closer look. Brian spreads the roots out and lightly presses them down so they stay in place.
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- Once all the crowns are positioned, Brian covers the row with several inches of soil. As the weeks progress and growth appears, the rows will be backfilled a bit more making sure the tips of the shoots are all but completely covered.
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- Each row is marked with the variety name.
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- Brian is careful to backfill, so the splayed asparagus roots are not disturbed.
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- Finally, a good drink. Asparagus beds require consistent soil moisture during the first growing season. Once established, these plants will be relatively low-maintenance. I am looking forward to watching these young tender asparagus crowns develop and thrive.
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