Whether you like it steamed, stir-fried, wrapped in prosciutto or sauced with Hollandaise, asparagus fresh from the garden is as nutritious as it is delicious.
And if your garden pals made you envious with their homegrown harvests earlier this spring, now’s the time to scope out your future asparagus bed.
Used in both culinary and medicinal ways in ancient Egypt, asparagus spread to Europe, northern Africa and western Asia during the Middle Ages. Introduced in the United States about 1850, this perennial vegetable can be found growing anywhere there is a cold or dry season (needed for its dormant period) in cultivated home gardens, as well as on abandoned garden sites, old farm fields, fencerows and even roadsides, where birds often drop seeds.
Seeds aside, asparagus (Asparagus officianalis) is best and most easily grown from transplanted crowns, planted in early spring or late fall in rich, well-drained neutral to slightly alkaline sandy loam soil where it will receive ample full sunlight. Traditionally set in 12-inch deep trenches, 18 inches apart in rows 4 to 5 feet apart, asparagus prefers a bed to itself because its roots spread laterally for several feet.
Some gardeners have had success with the more recent method of planting crowns in a shallow furrow several inches or more below the soil surface; but for the uninitiated, best results most likely would follow with the traditional method. Add a dressing of well-rotted manure or compost and water once a week, and the only other thing that’s needed is adequate patience.
During its first spring, the spindly new stalks must be spared and allowed to “go to fern,” or to mature to a ferny 39 to 59 inches in height.
Being dioecious, or having both male and female plants, the ferny asparagus may sport bright red berries on the female plants during fall. These berries are much appreciated by birds, but toxic to humans.
In the fall, the ferny growth will turn brown, but it should not be cut down until the following spring, when spears will begin to emerge as early as April. When 6 to 8 inches tall, these spears may be harvested lightly for a period of about two weeks.
It is during the third spring that patience begins to pay off, and the new chubby spears can be snapped off or cut at ground level for a period of four weeks.
During the fourth and succeeding springs, the harvest may continue for an 8-week time span. Given adequate sun, nutrients and water, a well-managed asparagus bed can be expected to produce well for 18 to 20 years.
Remember to mulch deeply after planting, but when spears emerge, remove all but a light covering of mulch to discourage slugs. One other known pest, the asparagus beetle, can be controlled to an extent by companion planting with tomatoes (in turn, the asparagus may repel certain harmful nematodes in tomato roots).
While green asparagus is most familiar and popular with gardeners and diners in our area, blanched, or white asparagus, created by hilling soil on the spears as they grow, is considered by many to be more tender. A more recent with a higher sugar content and lower fiber, is also available.
As always, when selecting seed or crowns, it is best to purchase from reputable dealers who can be relied upon to carry treated seed and healthy stock. Untreated seed can result in plants prone to rust and fusarium rot.
