Asparagus

Profile

Family

Asparagaceae

Habit

perennial

Height

1.5 m

Spread

0.8 m

Growth

medium

Lifespan

20 years

First yield

after 3 years

Hardiness

zone 4–9

Shade tolerance

light shade

Soil

Sand, Silt, Loam

Soil moisture

semi-dry – very moist

pH

5.6 – 7.6

Flowering & harvest

Times apply to the northern hemisphere in a temperate climate and shift with altitude and cultivar.

Uses

Growing

Easy to grow in any good garden soil. Prefers a fertile, well-drained sandy loam and a sunny position. Optimum pH is 6.5 or higher, although asparagus tolerates a pH between 4.3 and 8.2. Asparagus is often grown as a luxury vegetable; there are several named cultivars. With good care it can live for a long time; an asparagus bed can last over 20 years. Asparagus is a good companion plant for tomatoes, parsley and basil. Tomatoes protect asparagus from the asparagus beetle. Asparagus is also said to deter nematodes that can attack tomatoes (see the section on other uses below). A good bee plant. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown for seed production.

Propagation

Seed – soak in warm water for 12 hours and then sow in spring, or as soon as ripe in early autumn, in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 3–6 weeks at 25°C. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out into their final positions in late spring or early summer. Division in early spring, as soon as the plant begins to sprout.

Origin & habitat

Western Europe, including Britain, from northern Germany to south-western France.

Fertile and sandy soils on the coast and along riverbanks.

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