How to grow Asparagus
How to grow Asparagus
Asparagus has been a popular vegetable since ancient times. Roman chefs valued asparagus so highly that they dehydrated the stalks and kept them on hand throughout the year. Author Benjamin Watson wrote in his book, Heirloom Vegetables, that “One of emperor Augustus’s favorite sayings was…’Do it quicker than you can cook asparagus’,” referring to the Romans’ skill for handling this vegetable. Asparagus was also valued for medicinal applications. It was believed that an asparagus and oil liniment would prevent bee stings.
For centuries, agriculturalists thought that there was only one variety of asparagus and that differences were attributed to individual growing environments. Eventually, this proved to be untrue, but it does point out the importance of local growing conditions for asparagus crops.
Asparagus grows well throughout the United States, except in the Deep South and other areas that experience mild winters. The most efficient way to grow asparagus today is by purchasing 1-2 year old roots and planting them in an asparagus bed that was prepared beforehand.
To make an asparagus bed, dig trenches 15-18 inches deep and 18 inches wide, allowing four feet between trenches. Line the bottom of the trench with approximately six inches of soil mixed with compost or aged manure. Mound up this mixture in the center of the trench and drape the asparagus roots over the mound. Space the crowns 18 inches apart. The crowns should be about six inches from the surface. Fill the trench with more soil and compost mixture until the crowns are covered with one inch of soil. As the shoots emerge, continue to cover them until the trench is completely filled and level with the soil surface. Keep the bed weeded and watered so the plants can grow into ferns their first year. In the fall, cover the bed with dried cow manure and cut off the ferny growth. During the second year, harvest only a few shoots, preferably no more than three. In the fall, dress the bed as before. During the third year, regular harvesting can begin. Each root should produce a minimum of five spears.