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Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis
A perennial luxury — plant once, harvest for 20 years.
Sun
Full sun
Water
Deep weekly first year
Soil
Well-drained, alkaline, pH 6.5–7.5
Spacing
45 cm apart in trenches
Days to harvest
First real harvest year 3
Hardiness
Zones 3–8
Seasonal Calendar
S
SH
H
H
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Sow Harvest
The method
- 1
Prepare the bed forever
This bed will stand for decades — remove every weed root and enrich deeply.
- 2
Plant crowns in trenches
Set crowns on a small mound, spread roots, cover with 5 cm soil, add more as shoots grow.
- 3
Do not cut year 1–2
Let ferny growth build the crown; feed and mulch.
- 4
Harvest year 3+
Snap or cut spears at 20 cm tall for 6–8 weeks in spring, then let the plant grow.
Common problems
Asparagus beetle
Hand-pick beetles and larvae; cut down ferns in winter to remove overwintering sites.
Rust
Grow resistant modern varieties; give wide spacing.
Good neighbors
TomatoParsleyBasil
Field tips
- “Never harvest past mid-June — the plant needs time to store energy.”
- “A thick winter mulch of compost is the plant's yearly feed.”