How To Grow Your Own Asparagus

Growing Asparagus: A Perennial Pleasure for the Patient Gardener

Asparagus isn’t a fast-food crop. It’s a slow, deliberate dance with the soil, but oh, the payoff—there’s nothing like cutting your own spears, tender and vibrant, straight from the earth. If you’ve never grown it, let me warn you: the first year will test your patience. The second year will make you believe in alchemy. By the third, you’ll wonder why you ever hesitated.

Why Asparagus Deserves a Spot in Your Garden

Let’s start with the obvious: asparagus is a perennial. Once established, it will produce delicate spears for up to 20 years. That’s a two-decade promise of fresh dining right from your garden.

And here’s a little-known fact: store-bought asparagus is a sad shadow of what you can grow yourself. Freshly harvested spears carry a sweetness and snap that supermarkets can’t sell you—no matter how organic their labels claim to be.

“Fresh asparagus loses flavor and sweetness within hours of being picked. Grow it, and you’ll never settle for grocery-store spears again.”

How to Start Growing Asparagus

Choose Your Variety Like You Choose Your Friends

Your first task? Pick the right variety for your climate and soil. I’ve had luck with ‘Jersey Knight’—a productive, all-male hybrid that's disease-resistant—or heritage types like ‘Mary Washington’ for a bit of nostalgia. And don’t forget purple asparagus. Yes, it exists, and yes, it’s as decadent as it sounds.

Fall in Love With the Right Spot

Asparagus demands well-drained soil and sun, at least 6 hours a day. It hates wet feet, so avoid clay-heavy spots or low-lying areas that puddle after rain.

Amend your soil, if needed. Asparagus thrives in soil with a pH of 6.5-7.5. Nothing glamorous here—mix in lime if your soil runs acidic. And trust me, this is one crop you’ll want to test your soil for before planting.

Once established, these plants spread deep roots, so pick a location where they won’t be disturbed. Moving them later is a Herculean task. Don’t ask me how I know.

Crowns or Seeds? Choose Wisely

If you want an expedited harvest, plant one-year-old asparagus crowns. Seeds, while cheaper, take an extra year before you can harvest anything worth eating.

I’ve done both. To save one measly season of waiting, I’d suggest opting for crowns—unless you’re a glutton for punishment like me and want to start from seeds just to prove you can.

How to Plant and Care for Asparagus

Trench It Like You Mean It

Dig trenches 6-8 inches deep and about 18 inches apart. In those trenches, create little mounds of soil every 12-18 inches. This is where your crowns will sit, roots splayed out like a spider.

Cover them with 2-3 inches of soil. Don’t fill the trench all at once—let the tips peek up, and over the next few weeks, gradually add soil until the trench is level.

The Long Game: Water, Feed, Wait

Water deeply, especially during the first two years. This isn’t a crop for shortcuts—let the roots reach deep.

Asparagus thrives on rich soil. Add compost or aged manure in the spring, just before the spears emerge, and again in the fall after the foliage turns yellow.

Don’t harvest during the first growing season. Seriously, don’t. It’s tempting, but snipping even one spear robs the plant of energy it needs to establish itself. Second year? OK—you can take a handful. By year three, you’re dining like royalty.

Weeding and Mulching: Your New Ritual

Weeds are the enemy of asparagus. These roots do not play well with competition. Keep them at bay with a thick layer of mulch, and hand-pull any intruders.

In my experience, skipping this step is a recipe for frustration. Nothing smothers young spears faster than a carpet of clover or crabgrass.

Harvesting: The Moment You’ve Waited Years For

When spears reach about 6-8 inches tall, cut or snap them off just above soil level. Don’t let them grow too tall—woody asparagus is for soup stock, not fine dining.

Harvest spears for 6-8 weeks in established plants but stop once thinner spears emerge. That’s the plant telling you it’s time to rest and store energy for next season.

Keep the Patch Healthy: Offseason Care

Once spears stop growing, let the ferny foliage develop; it’s not just pretty—it’s how the plant gathers strength for next spring. Cut it down only after it turns golden in the fall.

If pests like asparagus beetles show up, don’t panic. Hand-pick them early before they establish a stronghold. In my patch, lady beetles have been a quiet ally in controlling them.

The Wait Is Worth It

Growing asparagus is not about instant gratification. It’s an investment—a slow, deliberate process with a payoff richer than gold. By the time you’re harvesting your first spears, the smug satisfaction of knowing you’ve nurtured a crop that will feed you for decades is unmatched. And you’ll never look at the meager spears in the supermarket the same way again.

Asparagus is an ideal vegetable to grow for those who enjoy having fresh vegetables in the garden because it is low-maintenance, easy to harvest, and produces for up to 20 years. It has a mild, lightly sweet flavor and is packed with vitamins and minerals. Asparagus is also a great choice for novice gardeners because it is fast-growing and reliable. Plus, it is often one of the earliest vegetables ready to harvest in spring.