Fresh asparagus for Easter... next year

Most people site the emergence of daffodils and crocus as the
first signs of spring.  For me it's the appearance of the first
asparagus spears in my garden.  I love fresh asparagus.  I just
wish I could grow it all season long.

Asparagus is a long-lived perennial that can be grown in the same
plot for 20 or 30 years.  The edible spears appear after a
prolonged winter "rest period."  Asparagus plants are very deep
rooted so they can withstand dry weather after plants are
established.

The home gardener is best off planting one-year-old crowns, six
to 12 inches apart in the row.  The soil temperature should be at
least 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  Asparagus does best in a sandy loam
soil.  Don't harvest spears until the year AFTER planting the
crowns.  The crowns need to store up food reserves.

Traditional, older varieties of asparagus are dioecious, meaning
there are male and female plants.  The male plant is the edible
spear, the female produces fern-like plants with seeds.  Today's
hybrids are male plants that expend its energy on spear
production.  Without the production of seeds, higher yields are
produced.  Male hybrids for most of the country's gardeners
include Jersey Giant, Jersey Knight, and Jersey Gem.  Some of the
California hybrids include Atlas, Apollo, and Grande.  Planting
male hybrids help to eliminate Asparagus Beetle problems as the
larvae of the beetle feeds mainly on the berries of female
plants.

Shallow planting of crowns usually produces more spears but of a
smaller diameter than deeper planted crowns.  I like the tender,
thin spears best so I plant shallow.

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Cheryl is a Master Gardener who volunteers with the Lake County
(Ohio) Extension office of Ohio State University. She won a
Cleveland Press Club award last year for her feature and column
writing.