The Easiest Way to Grow Delicious Asparagus in Texas A StepbyStep Guide

Asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable that requires three to four years to become established and productive. Once established, an asparagus plant can produce spears for 15 to 20 years or more. It is best to grow asparagus in dedicated planting beds–often referred to as the “asparagus patch”.

Asparagus grows from fleshy roots called crowns. The plant produces fernlike, feathery foliage that can grow to 3 or more feet tall. The part eaten and appreciated by gourmets is the tender young stem.

Continue to mound up soil over the spears as they grow up so that plants are growing on 4-inch tall or higher ridges or rows.

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Snap spears off at soil level with your fingers at or just below ground level. If you use a knife, be careful not to injure nearby crowns.

Just after the middle of summer (in late July) cut the ferny plants down to the ground. New spears will grow for a second harvest.

Asparagus are monoecious plants meaning each plant is either male or female. Male plants are more productive. Many hybrids that are all male have been developed. Heirloom varieties are often a mix of male and female plants.

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To know if a plant is male or female: when flowers appear use a magnifying glass to look at the flowers. Female flowers have pistils with 3 lobes.

A: Asparagus is a perennial that will grow in nearly all regions of the United States except the very coldest North, the Deep South, and Southern California. It needs cold winters and can withstand temperatures of -40°F. It does not like warm winters and humid weather.

A: Prepare a planting bed in late fall. Spread lime over the planting bed if you have very acidic soil, then dig in lots of compost and well-rotted manure 24 inches into the ground. The following spring, dig trenches 8- to 10-inch deep in the bed and set in the root crowns, 12 inches apart. Gradually fill in the trench once the plants are actively growing take care not to cover the growing tips.

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A: Mulch with organic material, such as compost, that will feed the soil and keep the weeds down. Weed regularly if you don’t weed often. If you have acidic soil, spread lime generously on either side of a planting row or trench a few days before fertilizing in the spring. Fertilizer again with an organic fertilizer after the harvest period. If you live in a cold-winter region, mulch thickly before winter comes; then pull the mulch aside in early spring so the ground can warm up faster.

A; Don’t harvest any spears during the first year of growth from roo crowns (or the first two years of growth from seed). Harvest lightly from root-crown plantings the second spring. If the spears are thin, don’t harvest them at all. Start cutting spears in earnest the third year, and never miss fertilizing in spring. Cut the spears just below ground level when they are about a finger’s thickness. Leave the skinny spears to grow into ferns that will nourish the plant. Don’t harvest after midsummer.

A: Because asparagus spears do not grow to productive size for 3 years, container growing asparagus may not be worth the effort. That said, yes, asparagus can be grown in a container.

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). Asparagus ferns are commonly grown as houseplants. They don’t produce anything we can harvest and eat. The most commonly grown asparagus fern is ‘Sprengeri.

Stephen Albert is a horticulturist, master gardener, and certified nurseryman who has taught at the University of California for more than 25 years. He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. His books include Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide, Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner, Tomato Grower’s Answer Book, and Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide. His Vegetable Garden Grower’s Masterclass is available online. has more than 10 million visitors each year.

Welcome to Harvest to Table. Thank you for stopping by! We love to share vegetable gardening tips that will take you from seed to kitchen serving.If you enjoy asparagus at mealtimes, you can learn how to grow asparagus at home. These delicious stalks are one of the first green vegetables to come into season at the end of winter, and spring is the perfect time to plant them.

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Unlike learning how to grow tomatoes from seed , knowing how to grow asparagus is not as simple. What’s more, they can take a few years to fully mature until they’re ready to harvest. But there is a way to learn how to grow asparagus the easy way, and harvest crowns within a year. In fact, asparagus plants produce spears every spring for 12 to 25 years, so you’ll have an endless supply of organic produce for the family. With the rising cost of grocery bills, this could save you money in the long-term.

Essentially, there are two ways you can grow asparagus. You can plant from seeds, but this usually takes three years to grow before they are ready to harvest. For faster results, most people plant asparagus from one-year crowns, which gives you a head-start to the rooting stage. In addition, this method allows you to harvest your plants within a year. So if you want to harvest asparagus for delicious meals, here’s how to grow asparagus the easy way.

If you prefer homegrown veggies, check out the 9 easiest vegetables to grow for beginners or how to plant potatoes to add tasty meals.If you're looking for an indoor project, check out how to grow an avocado tree from a seed.

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1. Prepare the soil bed — First, get your soil bed ready by removing weeds, grass or any roots underneath. Ideally, the bed should be around 4 feet wide to allow enough space for your rows. With a rake, till the soil and rake in manure, compost, blood or bone meal at a depth of 10 to 15 inches.

2. Dig trenches — Next, dig trenches around 6 to 12 inches deep and around 12 inches wide for planting. If you’re planting multiple rows at a time, space the trenches 2 to 3 feet apart.

3. Fill trenches and create a ridge — Fill the trenches with about three inches of garden compost to help feed future plants. Form a ridge in the center with the excavated soil you had dug up earlier. This ridge of soil will support the fragile roots and ensure good drainage.

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4. Lay your asparagus crown — Lay out your asparagus along the ridge at about 18 inches apart. Place each crown at the top of the ridge with their roots draped over the edges. Once all in position, gently cover the crowns with three inches of soil before patting them in place.

5. Water well — Make sure you water the crowns well to settle the soil. In addition, asparagus needs at least 8 hours of sun daily, so ensure the soil is kept moist at all times.

6. Apply fertilizer — If you sow in early spring, apply fertilizer in March or just before they begin to produce shoots. Asparagus crowns fully mature when they reach up to 6 inches tall. Typically, asparagus are ready to harvest after two full growing seasons.

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TOP TIP: Avoid harvesting the spears too early in its first season. Allow the foliage to develop as this will help to feed the plant and encourage growth.

1. Sow seeds indoors — Start by sowing single seeds in small pots or seed trays. Then, place the pots in full sunlight, keeping them at a temperature of 77 °F. Moisten the soil daily with a water spray bottle or small watering can. This process should be done at the start of spring.

2. Keep spouts at low temperatures — When you start seeing sprouts growing through, they no longer need a warm temperature. Ideally, maintain a low temperature of about 70 °F to encourage growth.

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3. Plant seedlings outside — When the seedlings are about a foot tall, they are ready to plant in a nursery bed of soil. Dig a hole about 3-4 inches deep for the seedling to continue growing. Cover with a layer of soil and water well.

4. Weed out the female plants — Once the plants start to produce flowers, you'll need to separate the male and the female plants. Male plants have large, long flowers, and the females have smaller flowers. Remove all the female plants.

5. Transplant male flowers after one year — Allow the male plants to complete their growing cycle and overwinter in the nursery bed. Once they have fully-matured as one-year crowns, they are ready to be transplanted to the permanent bed.

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Once the asparagus fully mature, you should be able to cut between 8-10 spears from each crown. It's always best to plant as many crowns at one time to get a decent picking.

For more planting tips, tricks, and how-tos, check out our guides onhow to plant sunflower seeds and when to do it, how to prune hydrangeas, how to care for an orchid, how to plant grass seed and get a greener yard, and5 things to get your garden

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