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Asparagus is a delicious early summer perennial vegetable grown for tender young shoots, known as spears. It’s a delicacy that might seem out of reach as a grow-your-own crop, as it needs space and long-term commitment. However, although you won’t be able to harvest all the spears for the first few years just a few until the plants build up full strength, it’s well worth the wait to get a full crop. Also, once established, an asparagus bed is relatively easy to maintain, and you can expect to reap the rewards for as long as 20 years.
How to grow asparagus
Asparagus grows best in light sandy, well-drained soil. You can still grow asparagus on heavy soil but it’s worth creating a raised bed. Choose an open, sunny site and make sure it’s well prepared with plenty of organic matter and is free of weeds.
Asparagus is a seaside plant so they love soil that’s slightly low on the soil pH and slightly salty. Often grows years ago added some table salt every year to the asparagus beds which also helps to keep the slugs at bay.
If you’re lucky enough to inherit an established asparagus bed, don’t be tempted to replant with new crowns. If you want to plant more asparagus, choose a new site where there’s no risk of asparagus diseases. It’s also not advised to plant asparagus where you’ve previously grown potatoes.
Asparagus can be raised from seed, but the most reliable method is to plant one-year-old dormant plants called ‘crowns’ in March. Some varieties can also be planted in autumn.
How to care for asparagus plants
Keep newly planted asparagus crowns well-watered and weed-free. Let the crowns develop plenty of ferny foliage so they can become strong and established. Don’t harvest to many asparagus spears in the first two years – harvesting fully before the third season will weaken the plants. At the end of the growing season cut foliage back to 10cm above soil level and mulch with well-rotted compost in autumn. Weed regularly and pick off asparagus beetles in spring.
One tip we have learned is to place a yellow builders bucket full of water near the asparagus plants the asparagus beetles seem unable to resist and jump into the bucket of water and drowned !!
Harvesting your asparagus spears
Use a sharp knife, cutting the spears 2.5cm below the level of the soil. In warm weather, harvest every two to three days for up to four weeks. In subsequent years, you can harvest over a longer period. Stop harvesting in mid-June, as this will allow the plant to build up reserves of energy for next year. This would be a good time to give plants feed with a general fertiliser, too.
Feeding Asparagus
Simply feeding with Growmore once a year in the autumn and a couple of feds with some liquid tomato feed will be enough to maintain your plants and keep them cropping. Avoid the temptation to feed with high nitrate feds which will create more asparagus shoots or spear but they will lose crisp tastes
