When growing, asparagus pops right out of the ground looking like someone took stalks from the grocery store produce aisle and stuck them into the dirt. It’s wild! But is it worth it to try to grow this interesting vegetable on your own? There are several mistakes everyone seems to make with asparagus, and according to many sources, growing it yourself is one of them.
First, it takes two years from planting the crowns or three years after planting seeds to be able to harvest your asparagus, so you’ll have a two-year mimimum wait for your fresh vegetables to be ready. It’s a lengthy commitment and longer than most apartment leases! Additionally, the harvest season each year is relatively short — only two months long, maximum — making the time vs. reward ratio way too lopsided for many home gardeners.
Another challenge to consider when deciding to grow asparagus has to do with the sexes of the plants. Whereas the vast majority of plants have both male and female parts, asparagus plants are dioecious, which means that male and female flowers are on separate plants, making asparagus stalks either solely male or female. You really want mostly male asparagus plants, since female asparagus produces berries that take up important nutrients in the soil and prevent abundant, healthy asparagus stalks. If you have too many female asparagus plants, that’s basically a death sentence for your crop.
Growing asparagus requires a ton of time, planning, and space
There are all-male varieties of asparagus you can choose to plant in your home garden, so if you want to make it a little bit easier on yourself, you could pick one of those. They include Jersey Giant, Jersey Knight, Jersey King, and Jersey Supreme. But some types, like Martha Washington or Mary Washington, will have both male and female plants and may affect your crop.
Asparagus also requires a ton of space to grow properly. While instructions vary, crowns should be planted between 4 and 12 inches deep depending on the type of soil, and 12 to 18 inches apart, ideally in rows that are at least a foot apart. If you’re doing the math, that’s … a lot of room. You likely need a hefty backyard to be able to successfully grow asparagus, especially if you want to end up with a substantial amount.
In addition to a certain variety, a backyard’s worth of space with available soil, and a wildly long wait time before you can enjoy your homegrown asparagus, the vegetable also requires regular watering, weeding, and fertilizing. Not to mention, there are several pests and diseases you have to watch out for that could damage your crop. If you’re looking to start your own edible garden, you may want to skip the asparagus. We all know that asparagus is delicious; in fact we have a whopping 17 asparagus recipes to rave about. Just … buy your asparagus when they’re in season and available at the grocery store!
