Growing Asparagus from Seeds

This is post from our last newsletter on how to grow asparagus from seed:

Growing Asparagus

Growing asparagus is probably one of the easiest vegetables you can grow and it's a perennial which means it will come back year after year as long as it's healthy and has what it needs.

Most people order asparagus crowns which are root stocks that range from 1 to 2 years old. Now growing crowns will produce asparagus faster, however if you don't mind waiting and are feeling adventurous you could try growing from seeds.

Growing from seed it quite easy and they are started the same way you would many other vegetable seeds. We start them in a clear bin spaced a half inch apart in a good potting mix. Once they have grown to around 3 inches tall and after the frost has passed you will want to move them to either a nursery area or their permanent growing area.

Keep in mind that since they are perennial they will need an area where they can grow from year to year. We first plant them in a large wooden barrel that is well drained with compost and aged manure added and allow them to grow and remain until after their first year, we call this the nursery. They will produce a lot of beautiful feathery fern like foliage and grow quite fast. Once fall arrives and cold temperatures reach our area we cut them back and add a layer of thick straw mulch.

Then in spring they will begin emerge and we transplant them to a larger permanent bed. You will need to dig deep and be careful not to destroy the crowns. Make sure the growing area is well drained with some compost added and aged manure. We will let them grow all year and repeat the same overwintering process and then in the spring of the following year we will begin to harvest some of the shoots.

The variety that we grow and sell is Mary Washington and we are very pleased with this old time favorite. Asparagus is a super food packed with nutrients for good health.

They are great grilled with butter or olive oil and some salt or garlic salt for taste. They are fun to grow and we highly recommend them.

www.southgaseedco.com