PlantFiles: Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis 'Mary Washington'

This is the 9th spring for my asparagus bed and it just gets better and better! I began with a dozen Mary Washington crowns because that was the only variety locally available. Over the years I have continued to build up the bed with leafy compost, cow manure, and rotted sawdust. I have also added Jersey Knight and Purple Passion which I ordered from catalogs. We have had plentiful rains this spring and and we are cutting an abundance ot beautiful speers every other day. The bed is about 5' x 16' which is perfect for a family of 4 and enough for sharing with neighbors.

Shoots are thick, straight, dark green and tinged purple at the tightly folded tips.

Plant this perennial vegetable just once and enjoy the spears for years.

My Mom and I are asparagus lovers, and I have been growing 'Mary Washington' for several years now. We are both very happy with the flavor, though I can't wait for it to get a better stand!

I have read that asparagus is hardy in zones 3-10. Asparagus likes a lot of mulch, so in late fall I put a lot of shredded leaves and compost on it.

As long as you use plenty of organic matter when you plant these roots, you will get a good stand before you know it.

Second year for my plants, and they are proving to be very hardy and prolific. Can't wait to start eating some asparagus in earnest next year!

Perennial grown for tender edible new shoots that appear in early spring. I put in twelve crowns last spring and let them go to flower and seed over the summer. About three fruited (red berries form along the stem)-- this is supposed to be a variety with fewer females ie. more shoot-forming energy, less seed-forming. This spring I already have about a dozen 1 cm x 15 cm spears-- they are delicious! Needs a permanent dedicated spot-- mine are in part shade.