Asparagus: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow asparagus outdoors?
Sow asparagus in spring once the soil has warmed, in a sunny, well-drained nursery bed. Remove weeds and prepare fine soil. Sow thinly in drills about 2.5 cm deep, with 30–45 cm between rows, also following the seed packet instructions. Deep trenches used for planting crowns are not suitable for sowing seeds.
Keep the soil moist without waterlogging it during germination, which can take several weeks. Thin seedlings to about 15 cm apart and protect them from slugs. Let them grow for a year before moving them to their permanent position the following spring with suitable spacing. Do not harvest seed-grown plants during their first three years.
The following spring, plant the young crowns in sunny, weed-free, well-drained ground. This method also suits purchased crowns: plant them promptly on arrival, avoiding frozen or waterlogged soil. Allow about 30–45 cm between crowns and at least 45 cm between rows. Dig wide enough to spread the fragile roots without folding them; make a small mound in the centre and place the crown on top, with buds facing upwards. Cover the roots gently, leaving just the bud tips visible, then water to settle the soil around the roots. Planting crowns is a separate step from sowing seeds.
How to care for this plant
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Weed
Remove weeds from the asparagus bed before they become firmly rooted. Weed by hand near crowns and young spears; avoid digging between plants to prevent damage.
When do you harvest asparagus?
Harvest in spring from well-established plants. Wait two years after planting crowns, or three years for plants grown from seed. Limit the first harvest to about six weeks, then about eight weeks in later years, depending on vigour and climate; do not keep harvesting throughout summer.
Cut spears with a clean, sharp knife at about 15–18 cm tall, without damaging nearby buds. Check them every two or three days in warm weather. Afterwards, let new shoots develop their foliage to feed the roots. Use asparagus promptly and keep it in the fridge; for freezing, prepare and blanch it using a suitable method.
Choose firm spears with tips that are still tightly closed. Harvest each ready stem individually rather than cutting every shoot to the same height. If the spears become very thin or the plants look weak, finish harvesting sooner so they can replenish their reserves. Avoid digging deeply around the crown with your knife. Put the asparagus in the shade immediately after cutting and separate any damaged stems. Once the harvesting period is over, stop taking the new shoots: these need to develop into the summer foliage that supports the following season's growth.
Asparagus
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Leafy vegetables
- Botanical Family : Liliaceae
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Perennial
- Exposure : Full Sun
- Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
- Cultivation Difficulty : Challenging
- Mature height : 150 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Plant Spacing : 30 cm
- Row Spacing : 30 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Moderate
- Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
- Soil Type : Sandy
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
- Pollination : Insect-pollinated
- Propagation : Division