01.
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.
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.
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.
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.