It's Time to Plant Asparagus—Here's How for Healthy Plants

Forget all that digging, mounding, and continual backfilling. (Not to mention crouching, kneeling, and weeding!)

Growing asparagus in a raised bed cuts out most of the work of planting and harvesting them, and the extra warmth means they'll come up sooner in spring too.

This step-by-step guide will show you how to plant asparagus for maximum production.

01.

Soil preparation

Choose a planting site on the northern or western side of a garden so mature asparagus plants won’t shade other vegetables in summer. Start with well-draining soil that’s about 8 inches below the rim of your bed.

02.

Planting

Most asparagus planting guides call for digging trenches and making mounds, but in a raised bed, you can skip all that work! Place the crowns 12 inches apart and spread the roots out around them.

03.

Watering

During the first two years, asparagus needs regular watering (about 1 to 2 inches of water per square foot per week). Once established, the plants need only 1 inch of water per week.

04.

Fertilizing

Asparagus is unique in that it’s fertilized in the beginning of the season, before the first shoots appear, and then fertilized mid-season (in June or July) after you’ve finished harvesting.

To keep nutrient levels high, you can apply the same organic fertilizer you mixed in during the initial soil prep (like these ones from Dr. Earth or Jobe’s Organics). I also like to add bone meal or rock phosphate in summer to replenish phosphorus levels.

Swipe up to learn more.