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Asparagus

Botanical Name
Asparagus officianalis
Hardiness
Zones 2 to 8
Height
5 to 9 feet
Width
2 to 2.5 feet
Flowers
Not showy - yellowish-green, small. Male flowers are larger and longer than female flowers.
Light
Full sun to part shade
Soil
Moist, well-drained, rich in organic matter
Planting & Care
  • You can begin planting in spring as soon as the ground is workable.
  • Start with one or two-year-old crowns. These are the roots with the growing point intact.
  • Set crowns 12 inches apart in furrows 6 inches deep, set 36 inches apart. Cover the crowns with 2 inches of soil. Continue filling the trenches with soil as the crowns sprout and grow.
  • Water thoroughly as needed.
  • Once established, asparagus are fairly drought tolerant.
  • Asparagus plants are either male or female. Because male plants do not produce seed; the plant's energy goes into developing stouter, more abundant stems. For this reason plant one of the many new all-male hybrids for a greater harvest.
  • Mulch the soil around plants to maintain moisture and more importantly suppress weeds which can compete with developing spears and decrease the quality of the harvest.
Problems
Asparagus beetles, fusarium wilt, crown rot, rust
Varieties
  • Jersey Giant, Jersey King, Jersey Knight - all-male hybrid introductions from Rutgers University; resistant to rust and fusarium wilt, crown and root rot

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