Asparagus is a well-loved vegetable, and can be found on dinner plates around the country. The asparagus is a perennial, meaning it will grow back year after year once its established in your garden. Well-established asparagus beds can produce for more than 20 years! Depending on the method of planting, asparagus may take 1 to 3 growing seasons before producing regular harvests.

So you’ve decided to plant asparagus in your fantasitc garden, nice! According to our research on asparagus, we don’t recommend planting garlic, potato, and onion nearby.

When planting asparagus in your garden, it’s important to plan for enough space for each plant to grow to mature size. Try to leave 12 to 18 inches between each seed or crown. Regular weed control is vital to ensuring the health of your asparagus. Due to the rich soil needed to grow asparagus, weeds can take hold quickly. Amending the soil in the asparagus bed with organic matter and regularly feeding your plants every 3 months should lead to a bountiful harvest as the plant matures.

When asparagus plants are about 8 inches tall, snap them off at the soil line, or use a knife to cut right below the soil line, to harvest your vegetables. If the spear has already begun to open, it will be too tough to eat, so those can be harvested and discarded. When frost turns the asparagus bush’s foliage brown, the plant is dormant, and can be heavily pruned back.