Asparagus 2011

This post is here to stomp out the myth that asparagus must be started from crowns and even more importantly, stomp out the myth that asparagus takes three years to get a harvest.

A little over a year ago I began searching the internet for an affordable way to start an asparagus patch... not only was I quickly discouraged by the high asparagus crown prices but also the fact that it would take 3+ years before I would ever see a return on my investment.  What about seed?  Finally, through various obscure and vague sources, I discovered yes, there are people who start asparagus from seed (although very few). I also found out then when properly done you can actually get full size spears and a full harvest in year two. This post is to let you know that it does work and to tell you exactly how I was able to do this.

First you should know that crowns are grown from seed in a field. They are then dug up in the fall, stored, overpriced, and shipped to you, to plant. Yes, all asparagus is started from seed even the all male hybrids. Asparagus is never propagated vegetatively for sale of crowns. It is a slow and inefficient process.

The first picking of early birds. A full harvest is soon to
come if this cold snap doesn't burn the tips... fingers crossed.

So, how did I go from seed to spear in only 1 year?   The whole process is quite simple. You must start the asparagus very early, I started mine the first week of February in 2010. I grew it out under lights until about the end of March. I then moved it to the cold frames where it sat dormant until late April. Toward the end of April I planted it out in a bed I had already prepared with about four inches of compost tilled in and all weeds destroyed. Starting early in the year does a very important thing, it lets the asparagus go through a vernalization period in the cold frames. Vernalization is a fancy way of saying the asparagus thinks it has already survived a winter, so technically the asparagus is two years old at only two and a half months. It is the exact same process I am going to attempt on artichokes this Spring to make them produce buds for me in Illinois.



Once the asparagus was planted it quickly began to grow new growth as if it were two years old. Instead of 10-12 inch fronds at the end of summer mine were 3-4 feet tall. I also side dressed with more compost around the first week of June. I figured the side dressing might be beneficial during the last few weeks of growth.

Asparagus crowns are currently selling for $1.50 - $3.00 a piece. I wound up with over 100 plants in my bed from a seed packet that cost around $3.00.