Asparagus Mary Washington

Asparagus officianalis

5-9 month old seedlings

A herbaceous perennial with both male & female plants.Asparagus plants are ferny up to 1.5 metres.They are long lived & require good soil preperation;dig deep with lots of manure & compost.If more plants are required the heads can be divided after 3 years.Equally happy in temperate & sub tropical climates.Asparagus is a delicacy & can be eaten raw or cooked.Plant in winter or early spring while the crowns are still dormant.Care should be taken when harvesting in the first year to allow the crowns to build strength.In subsequent years in cool zones stop cutting spears in late spring.Cut the spears carefully to avoid injuring the crown.As a rule of thumb,cut the spears if they are thicker than a pencil & before they branch.