Melinda Myers

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