Asparagus isn’t like your usual backyard veggie. You’re not planting it for a quick harvest. You’re in this for the long haul – 15, maybe 30 years, sometimes even longer if things go right.

So starting it off properly is absolutely crucial.

It’s not hard, but it’s not quite like planting tomatoes or lettuce either. You don’t just toss it in the dirt and cross your fingers.

This guide walks through it all.

Where to plant it. How to prepare the soil. Which types actually produce well – and which ones just look good in catalogs. How to keep it alive, fed, weed-free, and producing year after year.

Because once it’s in, it’s in.

How to Grow Asparagus

Starting asparagus is a bit of a commitment, but trust me, it's worth it. You’re planting something that could be in your garden for decades, so it’s important to do it right from the get-go.

Let’s walk through the steps to get you set up for a harvest that’ll last for years.

Step 1. Know What You’re Growing

Asparagus isn’t just another garden vegetable – it’s a long-term addition to your garden.

Once you plant it, you're making a commitment. A single patch can keep producing for 15 to 30 years, sometimes even longer. There are people still harvesting from beds their grandparents started. So yeah, it’s a big deal.

That’s why this isn’t something you toss into a random corner of the garden. You’ve got to think ahead.

• Where will it get sun?
• Will the soil stay soggy after rain?
• Will you still want that spot for something else in five years?

Start thinking of it like this: if you’re not willing to give asparagus a forever home, maybe don’t invite it in at all.

Now, timing – when should you start? Early spring is prime. Not midsummer, not late fall. You want the soil warming up but not dry and crusty.

And if you’re serious about it, start prepping your bed the year before. Yes, the year before. It makes a difference (more on that soon).

Step 2. Pick the Right Spot

You only get one shot at this, so don’t rush it. Location makes or breaks an asparagus bed.

First rule – full sun.

Not “mostly sunny” or “gets a few hours in the afternoon.”

Asparagus wants light all day long. If it’s stuck in a shady spot, it’ll survive, sure, but it won’t thrive. And you’ll get a handful of sad spears instead of basketloads.

Second – drainage.

This plant hates wet feet. Like, really hates them. Even a few hours of soggy soil can mess it up. If your soil drains fast and leans sandy, you’re in luck.

Asparagus actually does great in almost beach-like sand. (Oceana County, Michigan grows thousands of acres in sand that’s barely better than dune grit.)

Got clay soil? Then elevation matters. Hilltops, slopes, raised beds – anything that gets water moving away fast. And absolutely skip any low spot where cold air settles. Those late spring frosts can snap off spears overnight.

Also, if you're tucking this bed into a larger garden, stick it at the north edge. That way, its tall summer ferns won’t shade out your shorter crops.

Bottom line: bright, dry, elevated. That’s what asparagus wants. Give it that, and you’re off to a solid start.

Step 3. Prepare the Soil

This is the part most people skimp on – and regret later. You need to start early. Like, a full season (or more) before planting crowns.

Why?

Because asparagus is picky about what it grows in, and once those crowns go in, you won’t be digging deep again without wrecking the roots.

Start with a soil test.

Grab a soil test kit to make sure your soil is right – don’t guess. Asparagus needs an unusually high pH – around 7.0.

Anything lower and you're inviting trouble, especially Fusarium root rot. That’s the kind of disease that doesn't show up right away but slowly kills the plant over a few years. Not fun.

If your soil is acidic (and if you’re in the South, it probably is), you’re going to need lime. Maybe a lot. And you’ll want to work it in deep. Not just on the surface—this needs to go down into the root zone.

Next, pile on the organic matter.

Compost, manure – whatever you’ve got that’s well-rotted. This feeds the soil long-term and helps with moisture control.

As for fertilizer? Use your soil test as a guide. If it shows you're short on phosphorus or potassium, mix in about half of what’s recommended before planting.

Nitrogen comes later, after the plants are up and growing. And skip anything with herbicide. “Weed and Feed” will end your asparagus patch before it begins.

When you plant crowns, sprinkle a little triple super phosphate (0-46-0) right in the trench.

Some growers swear it helps roots settle in faster. Even if your soil has enough phosphorus, a little boost right at the root zone seems to help.

Just don’t go overboard – too much phosphorus, or compost with high levels of it, can mess with the soil long-term.

Step 4. Seeds or Crowns

There are two ways to start asparagus: seeds or crowns.

Use crowns.

Starting from seed sounds frugal (and it is) but it also adds a full year (or more) before you can harvest. And the maintenance is constant.

Crowns, especially the one-year-old ones you get from nurseries, are easier, faster, and just plain better for most gardeners. They’re already a year ahead, established and ready to go.

Two-year-old crowns are surprisingly worse. They don’t transplant as well and often go into shock. You might think you’re skipping a year, but you’re really just adding problems.

Now let’s talk varieties.

Go with all-male hybrids. These don’t spend energy making berries (which female plants do), so they put everything into growing more spears. In Michigan trials, they’ve outperformed older types by around 50%. That’s huge.

A few names to know:

• Jersey Knight – great for home gardens and markets.
• Millennium – super cold-hardy and productive.
• UC 157 – more for warmer zones.

If you’re tempted by the novelty stuff, there are purple types like Purple Passion and Pacific Purple. They’re sweeter, bigger, and more tender – just fewer spears overall. And once cooked, they turn green anyway. So… personal choice.

White asparagus? It’s not a different plant – it’s green asparagus grown in the dark. You bury it or cover it with plastic so it doesn’t make chlorophyll. Slightly sweeter, but a lot more work. Up to you.

Step 5. Plant the Crowns

Timing matters here. You want to get your crowns in the ground in early spring, right after the soil hits about 50°F.

That’s usually just as your other spring veggies are waking up. If you’re in a warm climate, planting can happen in fall or winter – but most folks plant in spring.

Now the trenches. You’ll dig long, narrow furrows—think 6 to 12 inches deep, depending on your soil. Sandy soil? Go deeper (closer to 10). Heavy clay? Stay on the shallow end.

Rows need space. Asparagus ferns get tall and wide. Leave 3 to 5 feet between rows. Within each row, set crowns 8 to 12 inches apart.

When placing crowns, forget the old advice about spreading roots like an octopus. Totally outdated. Just set them in the trench, bud side up, roots down. Think “head-to-toe” alignment if planting more than one—keeps things tidy.

Cover them with 2 to 3 inches of soil—not the whole trench. Let the spears start growing.

As they stretch up, slowly backfill the trench over time. It takes weeks. You want to avoid breaking off tender spears with big clumps of dry dirt, so keep it loose and gradual.

And water right away. Not tomorrow – right away. Those crowns dry out fast once they’re exposed. Moisture is life at this stage.

Step 6. Take Care of Young Plants

The first couple of years are critical. This is when asparagus decides whether it’s going to stick around for the next two decades – or check out early.

Top priority is weed control.

Weeds compete for everything (sunlight, water, nutrients) and young crowns don’t stand a chance if they’re buried under crabgrass or thistle.

If you’re growing organically, that means hand weeding. Yes, it’s tedious. Yes, it’s necessary. Especially with aggressive weeds like quackgrass or Canada thistle – those can smother a bed in no time.

Mulch helps.

Once the ferns are up and growing (usually by summer), add 3 to 5 inches of straw, leaves, or whatever you’ve got. Mulch blocks light, keeps weeds down, and holds moisture. Just remember to pull it back in early spring to help warm the soil and encourage those first spears.

Tilling?

Use it sparingly, and only before spears emerge or after harvest. Go shallow—less than 2 inches.

Hit a crown with the blade and you’re opening the door to Fusarium and other troublemakers. Commercial growers mostly avoid tilling altogether now. That should tell you something.

Oh, and about salt—yes, asparagus can tolerate it. No, that doesn’t mean you should use it to kill weeds. It ruins soil structure in clay and leaches away in sandy soil.

Plus, it’ll stop other plants from growing there… pretty much forever. So unless you’re gardening in 1890, skip the salt trick.

Step 7. Keep Pests and Diseases in Check

Even if you’re doing everything right, you’ll still have to deal with bugs and diseases. It’s part of the asparagus deal.

Common pests

Asparagus beetles top the list. They chew spears and lay tiny black eggs that stick like glue. The best control? Hand-picking. Seriously—drop them into a bucket of soapy water. Quick, effective, oddly satisfying.

Floating row covers are great early in the season, especially if you’re trying to keep pests from laying eggs in the first place.

Aphids can show up too. Hit them with a sharp spray of water or use insecticidal soap. And if you’ve got Japanese beetles in your area, you’ll probably see them sooner or later.

For those, try milky spore or Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae (Btg) on the grubs, and hand-pick the adults.

For a more natural approach, try these organic methods to keep pests in check without chemicals.

Now for disease.

Fusarium is the big one. It’s sneaky—starts slow, kills fast once it takes hold. The best defense is to keep your soil pH around 7.0, avoid cutting into spears with knives, and don’t stress the plants.

And definitely don’t try moving crowns from old beds to new ones—that’s how Fusarium spreads.

Rust and purple spot show up now and then, mostly if the ferns stay wet. Clean up dead ferns in late fall or early winter to remove disease spores.

Give the rows space for air to move through—wider rows, slightly more space between crowns, and a setup that lets wind blow down the row.

Basically, treat your asparagus bed like it’s a mini ecosystem. Keep it balanced and clean, and it’ll usually stay ahead of the problems.

Plant Once, Harvest for Decades

Starting asparagus isn’t complicated – but it’s not casual, either.

You’ve got one shot to do it right. After that, you're not digging it up and trying again without a major headache.

So choose the right spot. Prep the soil like it matters – because it does. Pick strong crowns, plant them well, and protect them fiercely those first couple years.

If you’re patient and give it what it needs, asparagus will reward you with fresh spears every spring for decades. Not a bad trade, honestly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I move asparagus later?

Technically, yes—but it’s a bad idea. Older crowns don’t transplant well, often break apart, and are prone to dying or spreading diseases like Fusarium. It’s better to plan well from the start and leave the bed undisturbed.

When can I harvest?

Not the first year. Maybe a little the second, but go easy. By the third year, if your plants are strong and healthy, you can harvest for about 4 to 6 weeks. After that, let the ferns grow and rebuild energy for next year.

What if my soil is acidic?

You’ll need to raise the pH—ideally to around 7.0. That might mean adding lime, and lots of it if your soil’s naturally low. Start the process early, ideally a year before planting, and work it deep into the soil.

Is seed-growing worth it?

Usually not. It takes longer, adds more steps, and crowns are relatively cheap. The only time it makes sense is if you’re after a rare variety or want to grow a large number of plants affordably—and have the time to spare.

How do I know if it’s Fusarium?

It shows up slowly—plants get weaker each year, spears shrink, and eventually the crowns rot. There’s no cure, only prevention: high pH, no injuries to spears, no moving infected crowns, and good drainage. If your bed declines fast, Fusarium could be the reason.