My family didn’t grow asparagus when I was a child. We found it. My dad had a sharp eye for the tender green spears that grew wild along roadsides near our home in Piqua, a wisp of a town in southeastern Kansas. He could spot even a single spear when he took the family on Sunday afternoon drives, stopping our Plymouth Fury to gather the crop.
I developed a passion for asparagus too; only now, though I fondly remember those asparagus hunts, I find it much easier to simply step out the back door of my house and snap a few delicious spears from the bed in our garden. When I first planted asparagus, I was a little intimidated by all the folks who said it was hard to grow. Starting a bed does take more work for asparagus than for many other vegetables. But after 15 years of experience, which includes 20 acres for commercial production, I know asparagus is one of the tastiest, easiest vegetables you can grow.
A productive asparagus crop is easy to grow if you do a little extra work upfront. Here are some planting tips that will ensure an abundant harvest.
1. Consider the weather when selecting a variety.
New hybrid asparagus varieties abound. The old standard, ‘Mary Washington’, has long been good, but research and breeding have produced some fine alternatives. California varieties like ‘U.C. 157’ tolerate the heat better and keep a nice, tight tip, even above 80°F. Breeders are also offering all-male plants, which yield more than female plants because they don’t use energy to produce flowers and seeds. These varieties, however, do not do well in hot climates.
2. Crowns provide the best start.
You can start your asparagus with seeds, but they take six weeks to germinate and add another year of growing time before the
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Growing sweet potatoes in sacks and bags is a super easy and successful way to bring homegrown goodness to your table. From saving space to getting bigger tubers, this method is about to become your new favorite gardening trick. Let’s dig in!
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