Although Asparagus is a difficult plant to cultivate, with the right care and attention, your backyard Asparagus farm can provide you with fresh spears for up to 15 seasons.
How Many Asparagus Plants Per Person
According to the University of California, every harvest provides around 1/2 pound of asparagus spears annually from each plant.
Plant five to twenty asparagus plants per person, based on how often you expect to eat the vegetable.
Planning An Asparagus Bed
Asparagus may or may not be a great option for you to plant, based on the scale of your garden and any other crops you wish to grow.
Each asparagus plant requires 18 square inches of space, and asparagus is difficult to grow and requires three years of the establishment before harvesting.
If you’re ready for the task, your asparagus will return year after year, providing you with fresh spears throughout the season.
Select a spot that receives at least eight hours of sun every day once you’ve selected how many asparagus plants to grow, and ensure the plants won’t be overcrowded out or have the sun shaded by trees or other plants you’re contemplating, according to the University of New Hampshire.
Even if you aren’t going to grow asparagus in the fall, you should still prepare the soil. Asparagus prefers soil that is well-drained, loose, and fertile. Till the soil to a depth of at least 1 foot and apply plenty of manure or compost.
How To Grow Asparagus
The majority of individuals choose to buy asparagus crowns. Because these must be planted as soon as possible after receiving them, it’s critical to plan ahead of time and prepare your soil.
According to the University of New Hampshire, you can sow seeds in pots indoors around six to eight weeks before the final frost.
In the spring, expect to devote a significant amount of time to asparagus care. Dig a hole that is at least 8 inches deep and space the rows 5 feet apart.
The University of New Hampshire recommends spreading out the roots of each crown or seedling in the trench, maintaining each plant 18 inches apart. 2 inches of soil should be used to cover the roots.
A little trench should still be there, just below ground level. Fill in the trench gradually as the plant sprouts and grows, until the dirt is fully at ground level.
Deeper roots can be established as a result of this procedure. Keep the soil moist by watering plants regularly.
During the harvest season, reduce the amount of water you use. Remove weeds in the garden to prevent asparagus from being choked out, particularly in the first few years after planting.
Allow the plant to completely die back before cutting it down to ground level at the end of the year. Add fertilizer in the spring to keep the soil healthy.
Growing And Harvesting Asparagus
Your asparagus is eventually ready to harvest after three years. When spears reach a height of 6 to 8 inches and a circumference of at least a pencil, they can be snapped off at ground level. If you like, you can cut the spears instead of pulling them.
Enable the fern to grow throughout the remainder of the year after the first two weeks of harvesting.
After that first year, you should be able to have a complete harvest of asparagus for the family, with each plant yielding about 1/2 pound of asparagus.
Although asparagus is best eaten fresh, it may be stored for a short time under the proper conditions.
According to the University of New Hampshire, it stays best at around 34 degrees Fahrenheit with significant humidity.
If you’re only going to store your asparagus for a few days, put it in bunches in a container with about an inch of water in the fridge.
How Much Room Do You Need For 10 Asparagus Plants?
You may grow white asparagus by putting soil over the spears to prevent them from producing chlorophyll; you can do this with any kind.
A four-by-eight-foot bed can hold ten crowns, which is usually enough to feed a family of four. Try to time your purchase so that the asparagus crowns may be planted as soon as possible.
