Tips for Getting the Most from Your Asparagus Patch

Cultivating a home asparagus patch is well worth the effort. Though it takes a little while to get it going (about three years), this particular crop has the potential to provide tasty harvests for over 20 years. And, asparagus is delicious.

Taking care of an established asparagus patch is relatively easy, and it’s a great way to border a vegetable garden with perennial food. Lots of people will companion plant it with other perennials like strawberries, rhubarb, and horseradish. That’s even more food for space!

All that said, there are some valuable tips for getting the best asparagus harvests from that patch. The process starts before the asparagus crowns even go in, and most of the rest are simple things that make caring for the asparagus easier.

Source: The Gardening Channel With James Prigioni/YouTube

Watch the Sun

One of the most important things when planting anything is to put it in the right place to thrive. Asparagus likes temperate climates with true winters (just about anywhere in the USA), and it likes plenty of sun. Before cultivating an asparagus patch, it’s important to find a good, sunny spot to put it in. That sun will make the plants healthier and later harvest much better.

Good Drainage

As with many conventional vegetables, asparagus likes soil with good drainage. Its roots will rot otherwise. So, in addition to making sure they are planted in a sunny spot, they should be put somewhere with good drainage. Or, option two is to create a raised bed for the asparagus patch. Remember the roots reach down about a foot deep, and though the fronds above the ground die back in the winter, those roots remain throughout the winter.

Build the Bed Early

Asparagus likes nutrient-rich soil and will perform better when the bed it’s planted in has been prepared beforehand. It’s good practice to dig down and break up the soil at least a foot deep to prepare the bed. If it’s got a lot of clay, it should be conditioned with plenty of compost and organic material. Doing this a month or more in advance will give the young asparagus advantages when developing that all-too-important perennial root system.

Mulch Thickly

Though asparagus can thrive with carefully selected companion plants, it doesn’t do well with competition. It’s really important to keep the growing area clear of weeds. The best way to do that is to mulch the bed with 3-4 inches of organic mulch. Not only will this keep weeds at bay, it’ll attract earthworms and other soil fauna which will keep the soil loose and fertile.

Add Wood Ash/Lime

The ideal pH balance for asparagus to thrive is slightly acidic to neutral (6.5-7.0). Most soil in the US, as well as compost, generally swings a little acidic, so it doesn’t hurt to give treat the soil with an alkalinizing element. Clean wood ash for those who have access to it or a sprinkling of lime will help with this. Wood ash also adds good micro-nutrients.

Source: Jacques in the Garden/YouTube

Appropriate Harvesting

Harvesting asparagus has some stiff rules.

For one, it shouldn’t be harvested at all in the first year. The second year should either be no harvesting or very sparse harvesting (just a side dish or two). In the third year, the asparagus patch is open for business. This allows the roots to develop.

Once the harvesting begins, it should be done thoughtfully. Generally, the season is only about six weeks, done in from late spring to early summer. The stalks start to poke up when the air gets to be regularly 50 F. Harvesting should stop when the stalks start getting smaller, often around mid-June.

• Folksy wisdom says that, if the stalks are smaller than a pencil in diameter, then it’s best to let them be. It’s a single that the plant is a bit stressed and not thriving. Try to right the situation for next year.

Once the harvesting is done, it is crucial to allow the plants to grow for the rest of the season. This allows the roots to get their energy built up for next year’s crop.

Fertilize in Early Summer

Once the harvesting is finished each season, it’s time to fertilize the asparagus patch. A great way of doing this is to simply add a couple of inches of compost over the patch. It’ll add fertility, introduce fresh organic matter, feed the soil life, and replenish any nutrients that have eroded or depleted.

And, that’s it! An asparagus patch can make spring a culinary delight for years to come, and keeping the harvests at the peak isn’t so difficult.

Related Content:

• 15 Plant-Based Asparagus Recipes for the Holidays
• 7 Vegetables to Plant in the Autumn for Harvesting Next Year
• 10 Perennial Vegetables for the Permaculture Garden
• Best Root Vegetables for Container Gardens
• How to Keep a Vegetable Garden Journal and Why You Should

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