Growing Asparagus

Aspargus officianalis : Asparagaceae / the asparagus family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S                  
        T              

(Best months for growing Asparagus in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Easy to grow. Plant as crowns. Best planted at soil temperatures between 61°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 16 inches apart
  • Harvest in 2-3 years. Plant 'crowns' to harvest earlier .
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Parsley, Basil, Nasturtiums, Lettuce
  • Avoid growing close to: Garlic, Onions, and root vegetables

Your comments and tips

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20 Feb 19, Elize Mans (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Ek soek inligting hoe om Aspersies te plant.Waar kry n mens die plantjies te koop.In watter klimaat kan die aspersies geplant word.En hoe word dit ge oes.Kry n mens boeke wat jy kan koop.En ek soek ook inligting hoe om Mushrooms tuis te kweek.Die maklikste manier . I'm looking for information on how to plant asparagus. Where to buy these plants. In what climate can the asparagus be planted. And how is it harvested? Get books that you can buy. Growing mushrooms at home. The easiest way.
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07 Feb 19, Lucia nunes (USA - Zone 10a climate)
Can I grow asparagus in zone 10 .
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01 Feb 19, Eric van der linde (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Where can I buy 2 year old asparagus crowns. l live in Meyerton area.
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23 Jun 19, Pam (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
You can buy online at Hadeco. They have stock at the moment but sell out quickly as they only ship for a couple of months each year.
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23 Jan 19, Ricardo Torres (USA - Zone 9b climate)
I planted asparagus three mths ago. My zone is between 9 & 10. The weather has been pretty windy and cold. I water well so cold won't dry the plant. But when will i see asparagus start growing?
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29 Nov 18, Ainsley Armishaw (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Our asparagus is in its third year, grown from crowns, how many stalks should I leave each year to flower and when can you cut off the stalks that have been left
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29 Nov 18, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate)
In the spring you pick the spears after they come out of the ground - stop late Oct early Nov. To have a good crop next year you need to leave all spears/ferns to grow. These then provide food for the crown to grow for next year. Stop watering about early May and let the ferns die back. Cut the ferns off in August. As soon as I cut mine the spears start growing.
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16 Nov 18, Henry (Australia - temperate climate)
How close is too close in companion planting ? Thanks
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20 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Sorry I had that wrong. I was thinking non compatible plants. Companion planting would be fairly close taking into consideration what area both plant varieties need to produce a decent crop. Like if you were growing beans you would grow marigolds (I don't know if they are companion plants) about 500-600mm away. You don't want one crop over growing the other crop. Generally people plant things too close together - me included.
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18 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
2-3 meters.
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The transplanted ones will depend on how they were treated last year - whether they were left to build up energy reserves for this year. If you had plenty of spears grow into ferns then they should produce this year. Probably also depends how old the old crowns are. Last year while I was growing mine from 12 mth crowns to 24 mths I use to put about half a cup of fert in 9 L of water and feed them each month - only had 3 crowns. I also put manure/compost on in august. I have crowns that are coming up to 3 years old - that is from when seeds were planted - they have been shooting spears for a few weeks now - I have cut them back and manured and watered them. My seedlings which will be 12 mths old in Sept - I have not cut them back yet or put manure on them yet - will probably do that in about two weeks time. I have not watered them for the last month - they are not growing at the moment. As for manure - chicken is the richest in N followed by cow and then horse manure. I read the other day horse is about 1.75% N. Whatever manure you can get and add some fert if you like. We have had only one week of cool weather so far this winter - that is night temps down to 6-8 degrees.

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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