
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Asparagus
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Watch our video on how to clean and trim asparagus properly.
A simple and easy favorite when it comes to asparagus is asparagus soup.
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Can you cut asparagus when it is raining?
Susan- Generally, it is best to cut asparagus when it is dry in an effort to avoid introducing bacteria to the plant.
I recently bought one Millennium and one Jersey Knight crown(s?) in 12" pots to try and grow asparagus in containers. I have no garden space. The nursery suggested that:
(a) You CAN grow asparagus in containers, though everything I've read suggests they'll be less productive, for fewer years
(b) I should not disturb the plants this growing season until everything dies back, but that in the fall I can transfer them to larger containers.
My plan is to put them into 2 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft cedar planters.
If anyone has any experience, advice, or warnings, I'd be glad to hear. I'm on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in Zone 7b (although sources vary)
Container asparagus is what brought me here. My brother has had a large successful bed for a few years but lives too far from me to share & I don’t have the room to have a proper bed. So far my 9 plants have all surfaced and all but one have produced ferns. I’m excited to see where this goes & hope to move to a raised bed.
I leave the female plant to grow, flower, and make berries. Bumblebees love the tiny flowers, and birds are attracted to the berries.
I live on an apartment, and am new to gardening. We love love love asparagus. I was wondering can I grow it in pots? Can it be transplanted from an existing plant so I can harvest this year? If so when do I plant? TIA!!!
Courtney, hello! YES, you can grow asparagus in pots. This makes it easier to weed. Also, you can get a sense for how fast it grow and how often it produces. It is imperative that you don't let the soil get too dry. True, it won't be "as" productive if grown in the ground. But, you can just grow in several pots to make sure you have enough. Be sure not to harvest or disturb them for minimum 2-4 years so that the crowns can establish in the ground properly. If you have cats (or dogs) this may be an issue as it produces berries. The fern-like structures with little red balls on them are simply to irresistible for our furry family members. And I can tell you that fresh asparagus right out of the ground is simply delicious! No cooking is required!!! Enjoy your tiny garden!!!
p.s. You can also start from seeds and get that experience as well!-Susan
Asparagus has a long root system. You can keep it ALIVE in pots but it does not grow or produce well in pots. I kept a series of 3 asparagus plants alive in 16" pots for about 2 years. They did not produce a single stalk during that time. I moved to a new house in 2020 and transplanted them into a large garden bed. They went gangbusters and began producing wonderful, bountiful, thick stalks within 2 yrs.
When can I transplant my asparagus? Before first frost or after? The page is contradictory, saying these two things:
"If you must move asparagus, transplant the crowns in early spring when they are dormant or in late fall before the first fall frost (after foliage is cut back)."
"Only cut back asparagus ferns AFTER the foliage has died back and turned brown or yellow. This is usually in early winter after several hard freezes."
Your first quote is about transplanting asparagus crowns, but the second one is about cutting back asparagus ferns. Two completely different topics.
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