Kem Ormond’s vegetable garden: Asparagus takes a while to grow but is worth the wait

By Kem Ormond

Features writer·The Country·

2 Nov, 2024 04:00 PM5 mins to read

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Freshly picked asparagus. Photo / Inge Poelman

Kem Ormond is a feature writer for NZME community newspapers and The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she’s writing about whether to plant or buy asparagus.

OPINION

Before you rush out and buy asparagus plants, you need to know

It is asparagus season, and this is one vegetable that I do not grow myself.

One reason is that I can buy a good 1kg bag of fresh asparagus from the local radiator company for less than the price of two flat whites.

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It is the drop-off point for a local grower, fresh and a new lot arrives every day!

The other reason is that you need to have a good amount of space to grow a family crop of asparagus.

Not a problem for rural garden enthusiasts, but a lot harder for town vegetable gardens.

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However, it can be done.

There is nothing nicer than freshly picked asparagus stems, gently steamed with a bowl of gloriously delicious hollandaise sauce on the side or poured over the delicacy.

Plot preparation

You need a permanent site for asparagus, and it needs to be sunny.

If you choose the right position for your asparagus bed, you’ll possibly get 20 years from it.

It needs to be easy to weed and harvest.

The soil needs to be free-draining, and have a good amount of compost and organic matter well dug into it.

Add sheep pellets, chicken manure or worm tea, but do make sure it is all well-rotted down before planting commences.

Planting

Most asparagus crowns can be planted from August through to October, but once you see asparagus crowns arriving in garden centres then I reckon it is okay to start planting.

Once your bed is ready for planting, you need to start with the first crown by digging a hole and mound it up at the bottom, so you can spread out those asparagus roots.

Do this with the rest of your crowns, leaving at least 45cm between each crown.

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Rows should be spaced about 50cm apart.

Fill up the holes with your well-rotted compost and soil and it is a clever idea to put some mulch on top to keep those weeds from taking over the space.

Asparagus can be grown from seed, but germination can be a bit slow so you would need to keep the tray fairly warm as the seed is germinating.

So, use a propagator or greenhouse or even a windowsill.

For me, in the past, I have found buying the crowns is far quicker and easier.

Asparagus care

Asparagus, ham and gruyere tart. Photo / Babiche Martens

In the first year, you will see some spindly asparagus pop from the ground.

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You need to just leave this to turn into fern and start harvesting maybe 50% of your crop in the second year. By three years you should have plenty to pick.

You need to stop harvesting in December and let the asparagus go to fern.

In autumn you can remove the fern. I usually just lay it on top of the bed (chop and drop method).

The asparagus fern can get a bit unruly, the best way to keep it in line is to corral it behind a string line and a few cane rods.

This is all part of the process, and it is important, as what happens is the stalks start to wither and die and the cabs return to the roots making for a good crop next year.

Once the fern is chopped down, lay it on the bed along with some more compost, give the plot some liquid seaweed fertiliser and leave it up to nature to do its best.

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Pick when spears are about 15-20cm long and before the tips open out.

Some common favourite varieties are Jersey Giant and as from the name, they are large plump spears, while Sweet Purple, as the name reveals, are purple-looking spears and need to be eaten when young (usually grown from seed).

Then, there is Mary Washington, a popular and early variety.

These are just a few varieties, there is a wide selection to choose from.

If you are wondering about white asparagus, that is grown under different conditions that prevent photosynthesis from taking place — in other words, kept in the dark!