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How to Plant Asparagus Crowns

Published on February 24, 2022 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

This post contains affiliate links.
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The quickest way to start a new asparagus patch is to plant young living rooms known as crowns. In the right location, this perennial vegetable will provide ample yields for years to come.

For more tips also see How to Grow Your First Vegetable Garden (Right Now).

Asparagus crowns ready to be planted.

Getting Started with Asparagus

Asparagus | Genus: Asparagus

Asparagus sprouting in garden.

Flowering perennial with edible shoots
โ€ข Hardiness zones: 3 to 8
โ€ข Full sun
โ€ข Soil: well-draining
โ€ข Propagation: grow from crowns (roots)
โ€ข Self-pollinating: attracts bees
โ€ข How to roast asparagus

  • Asparagus Growing Tips

New to asparagus growing, I ordered my first crowns by mail-order years ago. I had read a lot of information about problems with growing asparagus that set my expectations low, but it was actually really simple.

As a perennial vegetable, you pretty much plant it and provide minimal care like other perennial plants. Planted in early spring, asparagus grows rapidly right away and returns every year. 

Asparagus spears.

I had heard you shouldnโ€™t harvest the plants in the first year, so the crowns can get well-established, but my stalks were large and abundant in that first season, so I harvested them anyways. They were delicious! This is my favorite roast asparagus recipe. Since then, the crowns have produced large crops year after year.

Each year, I harvest as much as I need, and leave the rest to continue growing.

Besides the food they provide, these are really beautiful plants. Some years mine grow over 6-feet tall, forming a lovely privacy barrier in the back of the garden.

I would grow them just for this purpose, even if they didnโ€™t provide delicious food.


Contents

  • Asparagus Growing Tips
    • Varieties To Try
    • When to Order Asparagus Crowns
  • How to Plant Asparagus Crowns
  • How Asparagus Grows
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Resources

Asparagus Growing Tips

Asparagus crowns ready for planting; asparagus shoots in the garden.
  • Choose a variety of asparagus suited to your growing zone. Most are suited to hardiness zones 3 to 8.
  • Plan ahead. You may need to place your order in late fall or early winter to ensure spring delivery of the crowns. Each year suppliers run out of stock so order early to avoid disappointment.
  • Prepare your garden bed in fall so itโ€™s all ready for planting in early spring.
  • Asparagus likes pH-neutral soil. My soil is quite sandy and the asparagus grows rapidly here (zone 6). You can buy soil pH test strips here at Amazon to test your soil.

Varieties To Try

  • Eclipse Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ‘Eclipse’) | Zones 2-8
    Early season, male dominant, high yields, thicker spears
  • Jersey Knight Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ‘Jersey Knight’) | Zones 2-9
    All-male variety with high yields. Rust-resistant.
  • Millennium Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ‘Millennium’) | Zones 3-8
    Green medium-size spears with purple tips, high yielding, long-lasting. All-male variety.
  • Purple Passion Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ‘Purple Passion”) | Zones 2-9
    Large, tender purple spears with high sugar content. Some rust resistance.
  • Sweet Purple Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ‘Sweet Purple’) | Zones 5-9
    Deep burgundy spears with a nutty flavor.
  • Viking KB3 Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ‘Viking KB3’) | Zones 3-9
    Vigorous, high-yield grower.

When to Order Asparagus Crowns

Asparagus crowns (the root system of a young asparagus plant used to start new plants) can be ordered by mail in late fall or winter, depending on the supplier. I used to advise late winter but demand is so high in recent years that you may have to order in late fall or early winter to get the varieties you want.

Garden nurseries will ship them when the time is right to plant them in your area around last frost. You need to have a full-sun garden bed all ready.

Itโ€™s best to do this prep work in the fall (digging and adding mature compost) so you can get the crowns in the ground as soon as they arrive.

I started my asparagus at the same time as cold-loving spring crops like peas.

I ordered ten Jersey Giant crowns by mail and planted them at the end of April (zone 6b) into a new raised bed. This is around the time of our last frost each spring.

This lists organic seed and plant mail-order companies in the United States and Canada. You may want to contact one local to you and enquire about crowns.


Pea seeds on a table and green peas growing in a garden.

Related: How to Grow Peas: Tips For Beginner Vegetable Gardeners


How to Plant Asparagus Crowns

These are my notes from the first year I planted asparagus.

I found some contradictory planting instructions (welcome to the world of gardening!), so I opted to follow the plans that came with the plants:

  • Plant 18โ€ณ apart in trenches
  • Dig trenches 15โ€ณ deep
  • Fill bottom 3โ€ณ of trench with compost and then add 3โ€ณ of soil
  • Plant crowns and cover with another 3โ€ณ of soil
  • As the crowns send shoots up, add another 3โ€ณ of soil
  • Keep free of weeds, water when dry

Jump to Planting Instructions

Asparagus crowns ready for planting.
Asparagus crowns are shipped in the spring, ready for planting

The โ€˜crownsโ€™ are really roots (to my way of thinking).

You plant them over a little mound of soil with all those little pieces aiming down, like a wig of long hair over a head. 

I wish the instructions had said this because I initially tried to plant them upside-down.


Vegetables growing in part shade.

Related: 25 Vegetables You Can Grow in Shade


How Asparagus Grows

Asparagus Sprouts

Hereโ€™s the cool part. After planting, I kept checking the crowns every other day, unsure of how long it would take for shoots to appear.

On day seven, there were no shoots.

On day nine, the shoots were suddenly 7-10 inches tall!

Itโ€™s like they read the instructionsโ€ฆ

Asparagus spears growing in the garden.
Asparagus shoots emerging from the soil.

Some of these photos were taken in different years so thatโ€™s why the garden bed appearance varies.

One Month After Planting

There are many skinny spears from each crown and some are up to 2 feet tall. So far, so good. According to the instructions, โ€œnext spring a light harvest of shoots can be taken.โ€ The plants are mature after three years.

The squirrels are obsessed with stashing walnuts in this bed.

Asparagus growing with straw in a raised garden bed.

This bed gets a lot of weeds, so straw (or other) mulch is highly recommended.


Collage of home vegetable gardens

Related: 25 Vegetable Garden Design & Layout Ideas (With Photos)


Four Months After Planting

The plants are around 4 feet tall, full, bushy, andโ€ฆtipping over.

They all lean to the south.

Iโ€™m not sure if thatโ€™s a coincidence or they like bowing to the sun:

Asparagus growing in a raised garden bed.

This was the first year. After this, I started using straw mulch to keep the weeds down.

Mature Asparagus

It doesnโ€™t take long until the asparagus thickens up top and becomes both an edible and ornamental plant.

This next photo is from a garden tour.

Asparagus growing in garden with peonies.

After a few years, mine started growing 6 to 8-feet tall each year.

Follow Up

After the first year, I started harvesting the spears in mid-spring. Popular advice says to wait a few years but I do not.

Now, a few years later, I have more than I can eat and share the surplus. Absolutely delicious.

And, as I mentioned, asparagus is a very pretty plant. Iโ€™d grow it even if I couldnโ€™t (eventually) eat it.

It does, however, seem to be a magnet for weeds. My sandy soil around the asparagus patch needs constant weeding. I have slowed the problem somewhat with a thick layer of organic mulch.


Digital thermometer and vegetable seeds.

Related: Chart of Best Soil Temperatures for Vegetable Seed Germination


Frequently Asked Questions

When should I buy asparagus crowns?

Asparagus crowns are often in high demand and it’s best to place an order months before planting time. This may mean placing an order in late fall or early winter. Mail order suppliers will ship the crowns at planting time which is around your last frost date.

Does asparagus spread or multiply?

Yes, over a few years your asparagus plants will spread and send up more crowns. It is recommended to plant crowns 18-inches apart to allow adequate growing space.

Should I cut back my asparagus plants in fall?

It is generally recommended to leave asparagus green foliage in fall. The plants need it to gather fuel for future growth. Instead, just cut back any brown (dead) parts in spring.

During the winter months I apply a thick layer of mulch on the bed to make sure abnormally cold weather doesnโ€™t damage the crowns.

Does asparagus regrow after harvesting?

Yes, asparagus is perennial and regrows each year if the crowns (roots) are intact.

Can asparagus crowns be moved?

Yes, you can dig up and move asparagus crowns (roots).

How much asparagus does one crown grow?

It will depend on the variety, age, and size of the crown but, in general, each crown will produce several asparagus spears.

Does asparagus need fertilizer?

Any garden soil may become depleted in nutrients as plants grow. I use compost to enrich my vegetable garden soil. Others may use commercial slow-release organic fertilizers suitable for food gardens.

Which diseases affect asparagus crops?

Diseases affecting asparagus crops include a fungus called purple spot (Stemphylium vesicarium/Pleospora herbarum), rust fungus (Puccinia asparagi), fusarium fungi (Fusarium oxysporum), and phytophthora crown, root, and spear rot (Phytophthora asparagi), an oomycete (water mold).

Which insect pests affect asparagus crops?

Asparagus crops may be affected by a small black fly named asparagus miner (Ophiomyla simplex Loew), common asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi), spotted asparagus beetle (Crioceris duodecimpunctata), asparagus aphid (Brachycorynella asparagi), Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman), tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris), dark-sided cutworm (Euxoa messoria) and white cutworm (Euxoa scandens), rose chafer (Macrodactylus subspinosus), and yellow-striped armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli).

Resources

Ebook

Seed Starting For Beginners ebook cover.

Seed Starting for Beginners
Sow Inside Grow Outside

by Melissa J. Will

NEW EDITION | Everything you need to get started with indoor seed starting for indoor and outdoor plants. Grow what you wantโ€”any time of year!

About This Ebook | Visit Ebook Shop

This ebook is a digital file (PDF format) you save to your device. It is not a physical product.

Buy Now
$8 US

PayPal, Credit Card, Apple Pay

Ebook

Book cover: Growing Vegetables: A Weekly Indoor and Outdoor Seed Sowing Plan by Melissa J. Will

Growing Vegetables
A Weekly Indoor & Outdoor Seed Sowing Plan for Beginners

by Melissa J. Will

About This Ebook | Visit Ebook Shop

This ebook is a digital file (PDF format) you save to your device. It is not a physical product.

Buy Now
$6 US

PayPal, Credit Card, Apple Pay

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt โ™›

Asparagus crowns ready for planting; asparagus shoots in the garden.
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How to Plant Asparagus Crowns

Step-by-step instructions for planting live asparagus roots (crowns) to grow a perennial asparagus patch. These are traditional instructions shared by gardeners for decades.
Prep Time1 hour hr
Steps1 hour hr
Total Time2 hours hrs
Makes: 10 plants
Author: Melissa J. Will
Cost: $50.00

Equipment

  • 10 Asparagus crowns suited to your growing region

Supplies & Materials

  • 1 8×3-foot Garden bed

Instructions

  • Water planting area so soil is thoroughly moist.
  • Dig planting trenches 15-inches deep and 18-inches apart.
  • Refill middle of trench with a 6-inch mound of garden soil combined with compost.
  • Sit a crown on the mound with roots aiming down. The neck, where the roots all originate from, is the top.
  • Cover crown with soil and gentle tamp down with hands to secure in place.
  • Plant all remaining crowns the same way, spacing them 18-inches apart.
  • Reserve remaining soil for next step.
  • When first shoots appear, cover them with 3-inches of soil.
  • Keep area weed-free and water as needed.

Notes

Plant crowns in early spring when ground is workable. If purchased by mail order, the supplier will likely ship them at planting time.ย 
Choose a perennial variety of asparagus known to thrive in your area and hardiness zone.
New shoots (asparagus spears) may appear as early as 1 to 2 weeks.
Each plant will multiply over time, providing many spears.ย 
Many advise not to harvest shoots until the plants are several years old. I have always ignored this and harvest in the first year.ย 
Read the article at How to Plant Asparagus Crowns (empressofdirt.net) for more growing and harvesting tips.ย 
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Asparagus crowns ready for planting; asparagus shoots in the garden.
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I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
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