New Jersey is the fourth biggest asparagus producer in the United States, and the crop is grown mostly in the southern part of the state. I found a bag of asparagus crowns for sale in a big box store and decided to try growing them in the rocky, clay soil of northern New Jersey. I’m happy to report that they are doing quite well and I’m looking forward to harvesting them this spring.
I planted some asparagus roots a few years ago. I forgot about them because they don’t produce anything until the second year. I also forgot to water them, which is a no-no for asparagus. The instructions on the package were a bit confusing, so I just winged it. After a few years, I noticed some asparagus fronds in the area where I planted the roots. I was so excited! I put a small fence around them and waited for them to grow. It took a while, but eventually I had asparagus!
The very next spring, I found asparagus shoots in the area where the ferns was.
When the asparagus spear is eight to ten inches high, I cut it off at the base. If I wait too long, the spear gets woody and inedible, and the plant starts growing fronds. Since it grows fast at that stage, I don’t wait to harvest it at the peak of its flavor. I prefer to cut the spear when it’s still tender and tasty.
I found a bag of asparagus crowns for sale at a big box store and decided to try growing them in the rocky, clay soil of northern New Jersey. I read the package, which said to plant in April, but I decided to plant in September instead of storing them in the fridge until spring. I figured that if they were going to survive the winter, they might as well start growing right away. So I cleared a space next to the existing asparagus and planted the crowns. I watered them well and added some compost to the soil. I’m hoping they’ll survive the winter and start growing in the spring.
Asparagus crowns and roots have a scrawny, haggard appearance out of the package, but like magic, they sprout!
