HO-96
YARD & GARDEN
HORTICULTURE DEPARTMENT • COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE • PURDUE UNIVERSITY • WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907
ASPARAGUS
John A. Wott, Extension home environment horticulturist
Asparagus is the earliest vegetable that can be grown in the home garden. It can be grown wherever the winters are cold enough to freeze the soil a few inches, which makes it very adaptable to Indiana. And, since it comes up year after year, it requires little care. An area 20 feet square or a row 50-75 feet long will supply fresh asparagus for a family of five or six.
Plants or seed
Asparagus can be started from seed. However, if only a few plants are needed for the home garden, it is usually best and much more convenient to purchase crowns from a reputable seedsman. These are usually one-year-old crowns and have been carefully selected for vigor and disease resistance.
Varieties
Mary Washington or Martha Washington are recommended home garden varieties.
Possible sources are Burpee Seed Company, Clinton, Iowa 52732; Joseph Harris Company, Moreton Farm, Rochester, New York 14624; Stokes Seeds, Inc., Box 548, Buffalo, New York 14240; Burgess Seed and Plant Company, Galesburg, Michigan 49053; Henry Field Seed and Nursery Company, Shenandoah, Iowa 51601. Local seed and plant dealers may also be good sources.
Soil
Choose a site where asparagus has not been grown before. Site preparation should be started a year or more before planting crowns, by adding large quantities of organic matter such as manure, leaf mold, rotted leaves, or peat.
The asparagus plant has an extensive root system (often more than 10 feet per plant) and needs an open, well-drained soil for maximum development. Deep, loose soils such as mucks and light sandy loams are ideal. Early spring growth depends upon the reserve foods stored in the fleshy roots, so full root development is vital. Asparagus will tolerate a slightly alkaline soil, but not extremely acid. Thus, lime should be added to known acidic soils.
Planting
Transplant the one-year-old crowns from April 15 to May 15. Do not allow the crowns to dry out in the transplanting process. Keeping them moist is extremely important to secure a good stand of sturdy young spears. Place the crowns in a row 6-9 inches apart within furrows 6-8 inches deep. Make the rows 5-6 feet apart.
Make the furrow wide enough to not crowd the roots, which may have a root spread of 15 inches or better at planting time. Cover the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil. It is important not to injure the growing points of the crowns. When the spears begin to emerge, start cultivation, and continue to cultivate periodically until the furrows are level at the end of the first season.
Fertilizing
A commercial fertilizer with a 1:1:1 ratio such as 12-12-12 should be applied at the rate of 3 pounds per 100 square feet of bed area. If possible, also cover the area with 2-3 inches of well-rotted manure and work into the soil the previous fall or at planting time. If manure is added, the rate may be reduced to 2 pounds of chemical fertilizer per 100 square feet.
Thereafter, the asparagus bed should receive a broadcast application each spring of 1/3 pound of ammonium nitrate per 100 square feet of bed area before cultivation.