How To Plant, Grow, And Harvest Asparagus

Asparagus is the gift that keeps on giving—literally! This spring superstar pops up early in the season and rewards your patience with crisp, green spears year after year. Once it’s established, it’s like planting your future meals. Here’s how to grow asparagus—from planting all the way through harvesting!

About Asparagus

Asparagus can be grown in most temperate regions, but more robustly in cooler areas with long winters. The edible part of the asparagus plant is the young stem shoot, which emerges as soil temperatures rise above 50°F (10°C) in spring.

The most important thing to know about asparagus is that you should not harvest it during the first couple of seasons. These plants need to be established before you can harvest sustainably. The patience is well worth it, though. Asparagus beds can be productive for 15, 20, and sometimes up to 30 years.

Because asparagus stays productive for so long, it’s essential to plant the best variety available for your area. (See recommended varieties below.)

If you are starting asparagus for the first time, plant 5 to 10 plants per person (15 to 30 feet per row).

How Long Does It Take to Grow Asparagus?

As mentioned above, newly planted asparagus plants may take 2 to 3 years to start producing, so patience is truly needed! Once established, however, asparagus can be productive for decades.

In addition, asparagus plants are relatively fast producers, sending up new spears every few days for a few weeks in the spring. The plant produces ½ pound of spears per foot of row in spring and early summer, so we think it’s definitely worth the wait.