How to Grow Asparagus

When to Plant : Plant The crowns in early-mid spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. Keep the asparagus patch free of weeds, especially for the first couple of years.

Watering : Water frequently as crowns get established. After a few years, supplemental water should be required only during periods of drought.

Days to Harvest : A newly planted asparagus patch should not be harvested for its first year -- it needs this time to become established in the garden. The second year, you can harvest selectively over a two-week period. The third year, harvest over four weeks. The fourth year and beyond, you may harvest over an 8- to 10-week period, up until new shoots emerge thin and spindly.