Asparagus is the "princess" of all vegetables. Why else would their roots be called crowns?
Asparagus officinalis is thought to originate near the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor where it has been cultivated since about 200 BC.
The only perennial vegetable commonly cultivated in the home garden*, asparagus has been prized as a spring delicacy ever since.
Start with healthy, disease-free roots. Purchase one-year-old roots from a reputable nursery or catalog. Properly planted and cared for, an asparagus bed will produce spears for 20 to 30 years.
Space asparagus roots 12 inches apart in rows (trenches) 30 to 36 inches apart. Don’t give in to temptation and plant them closer together to increase yields; asparagus needs a lot of room to grow leaves over the summer. This helps the plant store energy to produce spears the following spring.
Dig a trench about a foot deep and loosen the soil at the bottom. Add peat moss, well-rotted manure, and slow-release granular fertilizer. Mix these in well with the loosened soil at the bottom of the hole.
Create a slight ridge down the center of the trench and place the roots at the peak of the ridge. Spread the longer roots out along both sides of the ridge and cover with about an inch of soil. The plants will be below the surface of the surrounding soil. Fill in the trench over the next few weeks, covering the tips of the spears as they emerge until the trench is level with the rest of the garden.
Do not pick any spears the first year. During the second year, pick sparingly for just one week. Pick for two weeks the third year after planting. For the fourth year, pick for four weeks. Beginning the fifth year after planting, you may harvest as much as you like for a full eight weeks. Once asparagus season is over, allow the plants to put on as much top growth as they can and you’ll be rewarded with a good crop the following spring.
Keep your asparagus patch well weeded. Mulch with straw or cocoa hulls to discourage weeds and help hold moisture in the soil. Provide plenty of water. Every other week, water enough so that the soil is completely moistened eight inches below the surface.
Depending on your location, the first spears will appear from early April to early May. For the next eight weeks, your patch will provide you with fresh asparagus daily.
Roast them, steam them, grill them, or stir-fry them.
Just don’t overcook them.
Please.
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*Yes, I know rhubarb is technically a vegetable and it is commonly cultivated in the home garden. But we think of it and use it as a fruit.
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