Plant Asparagus For An Early And Delicious Spring Crop
Spinach and early greens are a sure sign of spring, but finally harvesting fresh asparagus makes my heart happy.
Asparagus produces its bountiful stalks once the soil reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This continues until hot weather causes the plant to produce beautiful fern-like foliage. My asparagus patch is now in its third year and I am looking forward to serving it several times a week as soon as the weather warms.
Perennial event
A native of Europe and Asia, settlers brought asparagus to North America in the 1700s and planted it in their early gardens. These early gardeners typically planted crowns, but asparagus does reseed and, subsequently, naturalized in areas throughout the country. A wild patch of asparagus is a treasured—and guarded—secret for the finder. Fortunately, it’s equally easy to raise your own asparagus at home.
In the home garden, it might take two-three years for an asparagus bed to produce enough stalks to feed a family, but once it’s established you can count on it for a long time with minimal fuss or problems. Plan on growing 25 crowns for a family of four to last throughout the season, although if you are a true fan of asparagus increase the number accordingly.
Preparing the asparagus bed
Take time preparing the area for your asparagus, eliminating as many weeds as possible. Add organic matter to create well-drained, nutrient-rich soil since the plants do not like to have their feet wet. In many situations, raised beds are ideal because the soil tilth is more easily controlled, plus they tend to warm earlier in the season.
Starting by seeds or crowns
You can plant asparagus seeds indoors roughly eight weeks prior to your last frost date. Soak the seeds for 24 hours, then plant in individual containers, keeping them slightly moist and warm for up to eight weeks. Once the frost threat is gone, you can plant them in the garden giving them 18 inches of space between each of the seedlings. Here’s the hard part—even if the seedlings end up producing stalks, you shouldn’t harvest anything from them until the third year and do so sparingly. This allows the plants to put all of their energy into an amazing root system that will allows the plant thrive for years.
To plant the crowns, or rhizomes, wait until it’s okay to plant corn or tomatoes—again, when the soil is warm and there’s no risk of frost. Dig a trench roughly six-to eight inches wide and six-to eight inches deep, placing the crowns 12-to 14 inches apart. Cover with a couple of inches of soil, and as the asparagus grows, continue adding soil a couple of inches at a time until the entire trench is level with the rest of the soil in the bed.
Once again, don’t cut those early spears. During the second season, you may cut a few, but leave the bulk growing to strengthen the roots. By the third season, you are in full production.
When to harvest your spears
After the bed is mature, cut the spears when they are six-to eight inches tall checking and picking them every three days early in the season, and every other day when it’s warm. If they grow too large they become woody and sometimes have a strong flavor. Use a sharp knife and cut right above the soil level.
Caring for asparagus throughout the year
When summer heat finally causes the asparagus to go to seed, caring for it properly will benefit the following spring’s harvest. Keep it well-mulched and as weed-free as possible with a consistent watering schedule.
Some people cut back the fernlike foliage to the ground during fall, while others believe it aids in winter protection. Do whatever is you prefer in your autumn clean-up routine.
Fall is also a good time to top-dress the asparagus bed with organic matter, such as compost or shredded leaves, but you really don’t have to do anything special to overwinter this hardy plant. With strong and deep root systems, they survive frozen ground without an issue.
In the spring, cut back the foliage (if you haven’t done so during fall) and give the bed a balanced fertilizer to kick-start the season. Before long you’ll enjoy a fresh crop of this early season favorite.
How to prepare asparagus
Lightly steamed asparagus, served with fresh squeezed lemon juice or hollandaise sauce, is a sublime treat each spring. But asparagus is equally delicious baked in any number of dishes or marinated and grilled.
For bountiful years, fermenting asparagus provides a healthful and tasty way to enjoy the early harvest. Cut the spears to fit the height of a wide-mouth pint jar, providing at least two inches of head space between the vegetable and the top of the rim. You can add mustard seeds, garlic, and a bit of lemon peel for flavor, if so desired. Then, pour over a brine solution made up of 3/4 teaspoon non-iodized salt dissolved into 1/2 cup of filtered water. Make sure there is at least 1/2 inch of space between the brine and the top of the jar. Using a smaller 1/2 pint jar, fill the small jar with water and use it as a weight to keep the asparagus spears submerged below the water.
Place a cheesecloth or towel over the jars to prevent insects from reaching the brine solution. Allow it to ferment for between five days and two weeks, tasting it along the way to see where you prefer the flavor and crispness. It’s a brand new way to enjoy this spring delicacy.
Well worth the effort
Even though it takes a few years before you can enjoy the full benefits of an asparagus patch, once you have it established, it’s well worth the time and space a productive bed requires. Plant now so you can enjoy fresh asparagus for seasons to come.