How long until asparagus produces edible spears?
Written by
Julia Anderson
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.How to grow asparagus signifies patience. Although radishes can sprout in a matter of weeks, asparagus crowns take three years to grow a solid root system. I learned this after I harvested my first asparagus and the spears were thin and spindly. I came to respect the process of nature.
Year 1 Priorities
- Soil prep: Achieve 6.5-7.0 pH with lime/sulfur
- Planting depth: 8" trenches for sandy soil, 6" for clay
- Watering: 1.5" weekly to prevent crown drying
Year 2 Milestones
- Fern growth: 4-6 ft tall foliage required
- Pest control: Apply neem oil at beetle emergence
- Mulching: 3" straw layer before first frost
Did you harvest too early? I did, and I had a 40% plant loss due to my Year 2 overharvest. Now I use the 10% rule. For each day, if I see 10 spears are growing harvest 7. One other and they're still emerging at 10 a day I stop when the diameter of the spear is less than ½" - that indicates distress is I'm keeping grow in a 34° F fridge with some humidity upright.
Summer Care
- Leave 5-7 ferns per crown for photosynthesis
- Apply balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer monthly
- Remove berry-producing female plants
Winter Prep
- Cut ferns after first hard frost
- Apply 6" mulch after ground freezes
- Install windbreaks in zones below -20°F
Select *cold-hardy varieties*, such as Jersey Giant, when planting north of Zone 5. In my Zone 7 garden, *Purple Passion* contributes some color but produces about 25% as much as the green hybrids. Just remember to always buy crowns from a trusted nursery - diseased roots can ruin decades of harvest.
Read the full article: How to Grow Asparagus: Expert Tips for Perennial Success
