How to Grow Asparagus
Asparagus At a Glance
Difficulty
Challenging
Category
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -34°C
Plant Family
Asparagaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Sow once the soil has warmed, about 1 to 2 weeks after your last spring frost, in a weed-free bed where the plants can stay for good. Soak the seeds in water overnight, then sow them 2 cm deep and 5 cm apart. They are slow, sprouting in 21 to 28 days, so mark the row and keep the soil damp until they come up, then thin them (pull the extras) so each plant has 30 cm of room.
Asparagus is a long-lived plant: once settled, one bed gives spears every spring for 15 to 20 years. The hard part is patience, so let the young plants grow without cutting for the first two years from seed (one year from crowns), so the roots build strength.
When To Start
First chance to plant
60 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
60 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Asparagus?
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Your Asparagus Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Asparagus Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow asparagus seeds outdoors in a weed-free bed
1 week after your last frost
Optional: start asparagus seeds indoors for a stronger first year
12 weeks before your last frost· optional
If you bought crowns, plant them in a trench now
3 weeks before your last frost· optional
Cut asparagus spears, but not in the first years
2 weeks after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your asparagus seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Checking in on your asparagus! Seeds are slow, so keep the bed moist and weed free while you wait.
About 30 days after you plant it
Your asparagus is building roots for the years ahead. Let all the ferny growth stand, because it feeds the plant.
About 90 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your asparagus.
About 720 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Asparagus's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 21–28 days
Growing Tips
- 1Give asparagus full sun, at least 6 to 8 hours a day, in a spot it can keep for many years.
- 2Dig plenty of compost into loose soil that drains well, and pull every weed first, since asparagus hates competition.
- 3Water deeply once a week in dry spells, especially in the first two summers, and keep a thick layer of mulch over the bed to hold in moisture and smother weeds.
- 4Spread compost or worm castings over the bed each spring before the spears come up.
- 5Leave the tall, feathery fronds standing all summer, and cut them down only once they turn yellow or brown in fall.
- 6Pick the striped asparagus beetles and their grubs off by hand, or knock them into a cup of soapy water.
- 7The red berries on female plants are not for eating, so keep children and pets away from them.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~720
Days to Maturity
150 cm
Mature Height
45 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
60 days
When to Pick
Spear tips in early spring (after 2 to 3 years)
How to Harvest
- 1Start picking in the third spring after sowing seed, or the second spring after planting crowns, and only for 2 to 3 weeks that first year.
- 2Cut spears when they are 15 to 20 cm tall and the tips are still tightly closed.
- 3Use a sharp knife to cut them at or just below the soil, taking care not to nick spears still coming up.
- 4From then on, pick for about 6 to 8 weeks each spring, and stop once new spears come up thinner than a pencil.
- 5Let the rest grow into tall ferns, which feed the roots for next year.
- 6Stand fresh spears upright in a glass with a little water in the fridge, and eat them within a few days for the sweetest taste.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Asparagus plants are either male or female, and only females make the red berries that hold the seeds, so you need both kinds nearby. Asparagus crosses only with other asparagus, and hybrid F1 seeds will not grow true. Pick the berries in fall once they are bright red and soft, crush them in a bowl of water, and rinse away the pulp until only the black seeds are left. Dry the seeds on a plate for about a week, then store them in a labelled envelope somewhere cool, dark and dry, where they keep about 3 years.
Seed Production
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