The ferny asparagus growth will be an ornamental part of your garden.

Want to grow vegetables and  take it easy? Perennial vegetables are the way to go.

Supreme among the perennial vegetables are asparagus—plant them and then reap the benefits for up to 20 years.

An asparagus bed (raised or not) will produce over and over again, and you’ll be dining on delicately flavored, homegrown spears you can pick just before a meal—which might be each meal during asparagus season. Did you ever hear anyone say, No thanks, I’ve eaten enough asparagus this week?

Preparing a bed of rich, light, well-drained soil is the foundation for this garden treasure. In our new video Tricia amends the soil in one of her raised beds with organic compost and adds slow-release phosphorus and potassium.

If you’re planting in new ground you’ll need to do some double digging—don’t run away, you only have to do this once every 20 years—to thoroughly enrich the soil. Our video has an animation showing you how.

THE TRICK IS IN THE TRENCH

Asparagus crowns should spread their roots in trenches, covered with 2 inches of soil. Keep an eye on your new plants and, as they grow, add more soil to keep the asparagus covered by 2 inches of soil. Once the trench soil is level with the surrounding soil you can stop. See? Not so bad.

HOW TO GROW WHITE ASPARAGUS

Still life with asparagus Adriaen Coorte c.1697

Did you know white asparagus is not a different variety from green asparagus? They grow from the same crowns.

To make the stalks white, continue the soil adding process you used to cover the new crowns. You can substitute straw for soil, if you prefer. This time you will be “hilling up” around the stalks as they grow. The stalks will stay white as long as they are not exposed to the sun.

THE ASPARAGUS BED IN WINTER

For tips on getting your asparagus bed ready for winter, watch our video on Fall Perennial Vegetable Care.

ONE OF THE BEST INVESTMENTS IN GARDENING

Choose a sunny spot for your asparagus bed; you might want to place it where you can appreciate the ferny growth as it waves in the breeze.

Dig, enrich, hill up—and you’re set for years to come.

Our asparagus crowns come with our own Growing Guide. For more information, see Growing Asparagus in the Garden from the UC Davis Cooperative Extension and Growing Asparagus in Missouri from the University of Missouri Extension.