Did you know that growing asparagus from seed is not only possible, but a GREAT way to affordably start a sizable asparagus patch? I hope you'll find these tips on how to grow asparagus from seed helpful, as you start your own bed of asparagus, which can feed and delight your family for years to come!
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When we first bought our home, I was excited to get beds of some of my favorite perennial vegetables started. On our first run to our local farm store, I picked up some bunches of rhubarb, and asparagus crowns that happened to be on sale. YAY!
The rhubarb grew and flourished...but the asparagus sadly never did. The following spring, I thought about ordering some more crowns from a seed company that I love, but holy cow, they were pricey! And on our teeny tiny budget at the time, I could hardly afford to buy our garden seeds, so decided to hold off. This year, as I was once again marveling over how much it would cost, to put in as large a bed of asparagus as I'd like to have, I stumbled on something. Asparagus seeds!
For less than $3, I could get 50 asparagus seeds from one of my favorite seed growers, Prairie Road Organic. And these were a variety that's particularly well-suited to our colder Maine climate. I was more than happy to take a $3 gamble for good-sized asparagus bed - even if it'll take 2-3 years to really reach a harvest-worthy size.
I've been delighted so far with my gamble, and here's what I've learned in this first season, about growing asparagus from seed.
How to grow asparagus from seed
Start indoors, 10-14 weeks before last frost date
Begin by choosing high-quality seeds, from varieties that do well in your climate (This is where I got mine).
Plant seeds in a light seed-starting mixture, 1/2 inch deep. I had nearly 100% germination, without soaking the seeds, and truly don't feel there is any need to pre-soak them. Asparagus seeds do take a while to germinate - most sources say 3 weeks. I found that 90% of my seedlings emerged within the first two weeks, with a few stragglers that popped up as much as 4 weeks after planting.
Plant in full sun, after last frost
After all danger of frost is passed, plant your asparagus seedlings in a well-prepared bed. You want a location that gets full sun, with rich, well-drained soil. A raised bed, that's had a generous layer of organic compost added, is absolutely ideal.
As you separate your seedlings, you'll be surprised at the very impressive roots under those spindly and almost-ethereal little spears! Set each plant 2-3 inches deep, and space plants about 2 feet apart in each direction. Give them a nice thick layer of mulch, and a good watering.
Care for your young plants carefully the first two seasons
Maintaining a good level of moisture for young plants is important as they're getting established, but you also don't want them to sit sopping wet for long periods of time. This is why selecting a rich and well-drained area for the asparagus bed is so important. A good heavy layer of mulch around the young plants will really help keep the moisture level ideal, as they're getting established.
You won't harvest any spears this first year, or even next year. So for now, you're just keeping them weeded, watered, and mulched. In the late fall, as you're prepping your garden beds for winter, you can cut down the spears that will have grown up and gone to seed, and add them to your compost heap. This is a good preventative measure, to help keep pests like the asparagus beetle from overwintering among the young plants.
Start gently harvesting in the 3rd year
By the third year (two years after planting out your new seedlings), you should be able to start cutting some of the larger spears. You'll want to leave the smaller spears to grow up and fully frond out, so that they'll feed and support the root system. If you continue to side dress with good compost, and mulch the beds each fall, always allowing some of the smaller spears from each plant to fully grow and mature, you should have a robust bed of asparagus plants, that will provide abundant harvests for years to come.
While you may still want to invest in some asparagus crowns to jump-start your harvest, I hope these tips for how to grow asparagus from seed can help you to establish a larger, more abundant bed of plants than you might otherwise feel you can afford. It's been a game-changer for me, that's for sure!
Update
This post was originally written April 7, 2018. Updated January 25, 2019.
I thought it might be helpful to share an update on how our asparagus plants from seed grew in their first year. I wish I had some photos of them at the end of their first season of growth - I couldn't believe how tall each plant grew, and how many shoots they put out!
In late May, I transplanted the seedlings to their permanent bed. At the same time, I purchased 25 year-old asparagus crowns from our local feed store. I planted my young seedlings in one half of a 40-foot garden bed, and the asparagus crowns in the other.
By the end of the summer, if I hadn't had the plants well marked, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between the plants grown from seed (started in February) and those grown from year-old crowns. I'll be very interested to see and compare the size of both when they come up in the spring, after one of our long Maine winters! I'll keep you posted!
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Linda says
I have quite a few plants that I planted from seed this past spring and I haven’t all summer in a container. What do I do with them in the fall and over winter? They are still in a container. I want to plant them in a table type raised bed in the spring for their second season.
Taylor says
Hi there! I'm late to the gardening game this year.. just planting it today! I didn't start my seeds indoors... can I direct sow the seeds to the soil or should I just wait another year and be better prepared by starting seedlings indoors? thanks!
Amanda E. says
I have started mine from seeds as well. They all sprouted great but are very y’all and thin now, and most are falling over. Can I still transplant outside or should I start over? Thanks
Barry Tanzer says
I’m trying to grow asparagus in north Australia from seed. I want to plant them in a raised bed. However I wonder if I make this bed sub irrigated or SIP where is pushed up into the soil via capillary action. Does anyone have any experience in this method? Will it be too wet for asparagus. This is tropical country.
Cheers
Karen says
Ideally, how deep should a raised bed be for asparagus? And, as it's easier for me to obtain and work with earthworm castings, do you think they'd work as well as compost?
Last, I live in Zone 10, central east Florida, about 12 miles from a major estuary and another ~12 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Is full sun still recommended? Mid-summer thru early Sept. our sun is scorching; sometimes even watering twice can't prevent plants wilting and occasionally getting sun-scalded.
I know you are speaking from the perspective of Maine gardening - - just about as different from mine in Florida-- but I'd still appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks very much for this article. I've thought about trying to grow asparagus for years, and not knowing any better, I just bought seeds!
Karen
Anna says
Hi Karen!! My raised beds are 12" high, and that's working really well for me. And YES - earthworm casting will work just wonderfully - luck you, to have a handy supply!
Now, I can only surmise, since I have no experience growing in zone 10 - but if it were me, I would absolutely believe that partial shade would be better in your situation. My parents asparagus patch in NH is partial shade and it does just fine, and asparagus really doesn't like getting parched - so that would absolutely be my guess. I'm going to put out feelers to some zone 10 blogger friends though, and see if I can get a first-hand opinion for you! Best of luck, you will LOVE watching those feathery little beauties come up from seeds!
Karen says
Thanks!
Debbie says
A couple of years ago, I planted 25 asparagus crowns I had purchased, and last season, one of them went to seed. I thought I had nothing to lose, so I saved some of the seeds. The other day, I pre-soaked about a dozen of them and planted them in a pot of seed-starting mix. Then I looked online for information on how to grow them, and found your blog. (I do things a little backwards sometimes.) Anyway, I will wait to see what happens, and then try to start the rest of them after the snow melts (zone 4a) and I can put some of my other plants outside. Thanks for the helpful information.
Anna says
Debbie, thanks so much for the kind comment! I think you and I are cut from the same cloth! I also have a penchant for doing things backwards and learn a lot that way! Starting asparagus seeds from your own plants that are thriving in your particular climate is such a great way to grow a robust crop that just becomes more and more acclimatized to your unique growing conditions with each generation. LOVE IT! I'm wishing you all the best of luck with your asparagus seedlings!!!
Liga says
Thanks! This was so helpful!
Question-where do you live? Meaning - temperature zone? I'm worried that my asparagus won't live through the winter...
Anna says
Hi Liga! We are in Maine, and where I'm located we are actually in Zone 4b (according to the US zone system, I know Canada is a tiny bit different). So it gets very cold here! We've had many nights this winter that have been well below zero. I'll bet if you give your plants a good mulching in the fall they will be just fine! One thing that amazes me is how hardy asparagus is...it looks so delicate, but it's a survivor for sure!! Best of luck to you!!
Kathi says
I didn't even know I could grow asparagus from seeds; I thought we had to use roots. Good to know! Thank you! (Found you on the Chicken Chick's blog hop.)
Margery says
Wow I had no
idea. I planted crowns last year. I am ordering seeds right now. Thanks for the post.
Anna says
Haha! And I am totally ordering more seeds right now...you can never have too much asparagus, right? Hope all is well you, and thanks so much for the sweet words!!
beth says
Did you plan them in clumps then, like the pic with your hand in it? or separate them out. It's june right now and I'm thinking about starting them, not sure if it's too late? We have a long growing season here and a mild winter. I jsut don't want to have to wait a whole extra year to get them started!
Anna says
Beth, I definitely would go ahead give it a try this year, if you have a long growing season! As far as planting, I separated out each one, and planted individually. They seem like such frail and ethereal little plants, but are actually really sturdy! Best of luck to you!!
Beth says
Awesome, ok! Well I used the whole pack of seeds I got, thinking that I would plant them in clumps... so I guess in a few years, I'll have a LOT of asparagus if they all make it 🙂 Thanks for your help!
Anna says
Haha!! It will totally amaze you how hardy and sturdy they are, for sure! Mine are blowing me away - the ones I started from seed this spring are now sending up another round of stalks that are as thick as those coming up from established crowns that I bought and planted in a nearby patch, just a month later. I hope you end up with a huge, plentiful patch!!
Denise says
This sounds like the best idea for the large raised bed I have. What kind of mulch did you use? I've never sure what the best option is.
Thanks,
Denise
Anna says
Hi Denise! I went with old straw from our sheep barn, which had a fair bit of sheep pellets mixed in. For something like asparagus, I like something the consistency of straw or chopped dead leaves, as opposed to something more like a wood mulch. Hope this helps, and hope wonderful large asparagus bed does GREAT!!