Growing Asparagus- Cooking, Planting and Preserving Asparagus
This perennial fern like plant produces a plentiful supply of young shoots, which are cut as succulent spears soon after they come through the soils' surface. Asparagus is a beautiful, easy to grow plant but patience is definitely required as it takes years to get your first crop, but once established it will provide asparagus for up to 20 years.
Cultivation and PlantingPlants can be grown from seeds, see our seed saving guide, but the most popular way to raise asparagus is to buy one year old asparagus crowns. Choose a sheltered sunny position with well drained soil for the asparagus bed, incorporating well rotted organic matter, making sure to dig out all perennial weeds. In April prepare a trench about 10 inches / 25 cms deep and 15 inches / 38 cms wide. Return some of the soil to the trench to make a ridge for the crowns to sit on. Spread the roots outwards over the ridge about 18 inches /45 cms apart and cover with 2-3 inches / 5-7.5 cms of soil. Don't fill the trenches immediately but gradually as the season progresses. This encourages the roots to grow deeply. It is essential to keep the bed weed free and hand weeding is recommended so as not to damage the roots.
HarvestingThe newly planted asparagus crowns will produce spears soon after planting but these must not be cut and must be left to grow into bushy fern like stems. In the second year a few spears may be cut but true harvesting begins in the third year. The harvesting season is from the end of April until late June. Cut the spears 2 inches / 5 cms below the ground when they are 5 inches / 13 cms tall taking care not to damage new developing shoots.
After cutting the last spears of the season the ferns must be allowed to grow. In autumn when the ferns turn yellow cut down to ground level and mulch with well rotted organic matter.
