<center>![](http://gdurl.com/yNqi)<h6>[Image Credit](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green-bio-asparagus-buds-healthy-low-calories-sodium_1920x1080_99-hd.jpg)</h6></center>

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables and one that I have always wanted to try growing, but I’ve never been able to find room for it in the garden. The scientific name for the yummy veggie most commonly grown in our gardens is [Asparagus officinalis](https://www.britannica.com/plant/Asparagus). It is a perennial plant [native to the Mediterranean](http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/vegetables/crops/hgic1300.html), but it has been [introduced many places worldwide, including most of North America](https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ASOF). Being a Mediterranean plant, it has developed a fairly high salt tolerance. In fact, [salting the soil has been a traditional way to control weeds in the asparagus bed](https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/asparagus/salt-on-asparagus-weeds.htm) for generations. But, you have to be careful. Since asparagus is perennial, salting it year after year could raise the salt content too much, even for your asparagus. [With today’s variety of weed control methods](https://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/articles/2011/AsparagusWeeds.shtml), salt is no longer recommended.

<h3>Congratulations! It’s A Boy!</h3>Unlike most plants you’re probably familiar with, asparagus is [dioecious](http://www.dictionary.com/browse/dioecious), meaning that an individual plant is ***either*** male ***or*** female. It requires 2 plants, one of each gender, in order to reproduce. [Female plants produce thin stalks, while male plants grow thicker stalks](https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/asparagus/male-female-asparagus-plants.htm). For agricultural purposes, male plants are favored, because [they tend to give a much higher yield](http://homeguides.sfgate.com/should-replace-female-asparagus-plants-male-plants-104973.html) - up to [20 - 30 percent higher](https://awaytogarden.com/asparagus-an-all-male-cast/). The reason for the difference in production is that female plants have to use a lot of their energy to produce seeds. Asparagus seeds look like little red berries, [and they are actually mildly toxic, if ingested](https://modernfarmer.com/2015/08/secretly-poisonous-plants/), causing diarrhea and vomiting.

There are actually [several varieties of asparagus](http://www.lathyrus-seed.com/paradise/vegetables/asparagus/asparagus_varieties.html) that have been bred to be all-male. I can see the advantage of this for mass production purposes, but I kind of like the idea of saving seeds. I think I would *prefer* to have both male and female plants; even if it means a lower yield.

<h3>Growing Asparagus</h3>Asparagus is a very versatile crop. [It grows especially well in regions with cooler climates and longer winters](https://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-asparagus/), although it can also tolerate regions that are warm year-round. 

Be careful when choosing where you wish to start your crop of asparagus. It is an extremely long-lived plant, sometimes lasting up to 20 years, and it can take up to 3 years before you even see a harvest! [Asparagus likes full sun and sandy, well draining soil](https://www.almanac.com/plant/asparagus), and it is a good candidate for raised bed gardening. It is probably best to put in the extra effort to get things correct prior to planting.

The first thing you will need to do is figure out how much space you want to set aside for your new crop. Keep in mind that this will be a long term investment and should be a permanent spot. Asparagus is capable of [yielding up to 2<sup?1</sup>/<sub>2</sub> pounds of yummy stalks per plant](https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-asparagus/growing-asparagus-zmaz10djzraw), so you should do the math to figure out your family’s need. Bonnie Plants recommends [starting with 10 plants per person who will be eating it](https://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-asparagus/) and going up from there if you plan on freezing or canning any. Once you know how many plants you will need, we’ll do need to do a little more math. [Plants should be spaced 12-18 inches apart in rows that are at least 2 feet apart](https://modernfarmer.com/2015/04/how-to-plant-asparagus/). Once you’ve calculated your bed’s dimensions, you will need to clear out all of the weeds and amend the soil. Again, you should plan on growing the same plants in this spot for the long haul, so do make sure that you get the prep work right. [Asparagus loves phosphorus, so composted manure will be a great additive](https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-asparagus/growing-asparagus-zmaz10djzraw). Add 2-3 inches on top of the cleared out bed, and work it into the soil. Next, dig your trenches. They should be about 4-6 inches deep and 10-12 inches wide, and space your plants out. Most sources i found recommend starting from 1 year old crowns, because they are easier than starting seeds, and it takes a year off of the waiting period. Place your crowns into the trenches and cover them with 2-3 inches of soil. Keep an eye on them, and add another 2 or 3 inches of soil whenever they start to poke through. Continue this until the crowns have been covered with enough soil to form a small mound. Now, the waiting game begins.

<h3>Harvesting Your Asparagus</h3>As I mentioned above, it will take 2-3 years before you ever even see a harvest. You will know they are ready when the shoots grow to about the width of a pencil or larger. Shoots should be harvested when they are about 8 inches tall, and the flower (the part at the top of the spear is actually a flower) has not yet begun to open. You may use a knife to cut the spears off just below the soil line, but I read in several different places that it is best to snap them off with your fingers. It keeps you from damaging surrounding shoots or spreading diseases from plant to plant. Depending on the maturity of your plants and climate, the harvest may last anywhere from 2 weeks for young plants in cool areas to continuous growth in warmer climates. The general rule of thumb is to quit harvesting when the new shoots get smaller than a pencil in diameter.

<h3>Storing Your Asparagus</h3>I almost didn’t even include this section in my article, because I can’t imagine having any left over to store! It will keep in the fridge for a good week, but you will need to trim a bit off of the bottom before you use it. As cut asparagus sits, tough fibers form at the base where the cut was made. If it won’t be eaten within a week, you can blanch it, wrap it up tight, and freeze it; or you can certainly [can it for the winter](http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/asparagus_spears.html).

<h3>Overwintering The Plants</h3>As the season winds down, you want to pretty much leave your plants alone until winter kills all of the above-ground foliage. Only after the foliage is dead, you should cut it off at ground level and destroy the foliage. Be sure that the plant is completely dormant, because cutting it off too early means losing energy that it would have had from photosynthesis. Also, be sure to **destroy** the removed foliage. KILL IT WITH FIRE!! It may harvest disease or overwintering asparagus beetles. The last step is to cover your bed with a few inches of composted manure.


<h3>Why you might consider growing asparagus</h3>Asparagus is one of the most difficult and labor intensive vegetable crops one could attempt to grow. Furthermore, it is widely available year-round in most grocery stores. Why on Earth would I want to try growing it, myself? Well, aside from the challenge, I want to make a more concerted effort to be more self sufficient and provide for my family’s needs locally when possible. If you buy asparagus from the grocery store, chances are that it has been grown in Peru and imported to the US. The reason for this is actually quite interesting:

If you grew up in the early 1990’s in the US, then you probably remember *”The War On Drugs”*. But, I’ll bet you didn’t know that asparagus was used as a major weapon in the war. [The US government actually began subsidizing the Peruvian asparagus industry](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/us/war-on-peruvian-drugs-takes-a-victim-us-asparagus.html). In their warm climate, they are able to grow it year-round. The thought was that if we made growing asparagus profitable enough, coca farmers would convert their drug crop land over to food crop, thereby decreasing the amount of narcotics entering America. Did it work? Well, a ***lot*** of asparagus gets grown in Peru, even to this day. In fact, major companies like Del Monte that once grew asparagus in the States have moved their operation to Peru, because it is more profitable. However, the US government hasn’t released any number detailing a decrease in drug agriculture in Peru, so who know?

<h3>In Conclusion</h3>It should be restated that I do not have any experience ***actually growing*** asparagus, but it is something that I plan on starting within the next couple of growing seasons. The ideas and advice given in this article are from my own research and planning. If you see anything within the post that is incorrect, or if you have any further advice, please let me know! 

![](http://gdurl.com/V3fC)