Asparagus is a perennial plant. Plant asparagus where it can grow undisturbed and be productive for 15 to 20 years. Asparagus is one of the earliest crops to come to harvest in spring. The edible parts of the asparagus plant are young, tender, green shoots, called spears. Spears are young leaf stalks—eaten leafless—that grow from…
Search Results for: asparagus
Asparagus Beetle Natural Insect Pest Control
The common asparagus beetle adult is a shiny, elongated blue-black beetle with a reddish-brown thorax and four cream-colored spots surrounded by a red border on the wing covers. The adult asparagus beetle is ¼-inch long. The larva is a greenish-gray, wrinkled, humpbacked grub with a dark head about ⅓-inch long. Common asparagus beetle adults and…
How to Harvest and Store Asparagus
Harvest asparagus when spears are 6 to 9 inches (15-23 cm) long, about the thickness of your index finger, and before the tips begin to separate. When to Harvest Asparagus Asparagus is one of the first crops to come to harvest each spring. Early in the season when the weather is cool (less than 70°F/…
Growing Asparagus Quick Tips
Sowing Asparagus Seed and Planting Asparagus Crowns (roots): Asparagus is a perennial plant that can grow for 15 to 20 spears. Asparagus can be grown from seed or crowns. If you grow asparagus from seed, your first harvest will come in three years. If you grow asparagus from crowns (established roots), the first harvest will…
Asparagus Growing
Asparagus requires a carefully chosen site. It’s a perennial crop that is going to grow in the same spot for up to 20 years. To produce a crop that will give you plenty of spears each year, you need to plant a whole bed of asparagus at one time. (Plant ten plants for each person;…
Canning the Asparagus Harvest
Home grown asparagus can be cut for canning the second spring after planting. The harvest time lasts 4 to 6 weeks and begins when temperatures rise above 55°F. Then asparagus sends up stalks from its thick underground roots. Asparagus stalks grow 2 to 3 inches a day in cool weather, 7 to 8 inches a…
How to Protect Asparagus Plants from Winter
Protect perennial asparagus plants from cold temperature damage by mulching the asparagus bed with compost, aged manure, or straw before freezing weather or snow arrives. Asparagus crowns can produce tasty spears for 20 years or longer if given the right care and nutrients. The ferny stalks and branching growth of asparagus plants capture energy through…
How to Cook and Serve Asparagus with No Recipe
Cooked asparagus has a subtle sweet grassy flavor. It is a perfect match to salty dairy ingredients such as butter, Parmesan cheese, and hollandaise sauce. Asparagus also is well matched to slightly sulfurous-tasting foods: eggs, shellfish, and garlic. There are three types of asparagus: green asparagus which can be both sweet and slightly tart flavored,…
Asparagus Growing and Care Calendar
Asparagus is among the earliest and tastiest crops each year. Perennial asparagus beds can produce spears for decades and decades with proper care throughout the years. Plant asparagus where there is plenty of sun in the spring and the soil is rich in organic matter and well-drained. As a guide, you will need about 20…
Asparagus Growing Problem Troubleshooting
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that will keep on producing 20 years or longer given the right location and care. A healthy asparagus patch requires a bit of attention. Rule Number One: Keep ahead of asparagus problems, pests and diseases. Here is a troubleshooting list of possible asparagus problems with control and cure suggestions: Asparagus…
