Asparagus

Zones 3-10. Asparagus plants are long-lived and a bed of asparagus can provide many years of eating pleasure, but they must be planted properly. Follow all planting instructions, sent with new crowns. Asparagus plants prefer full sun and soil that is slightly alkaline with pH range of 6.5 to 7.5. Do not harvest spears for the first or second season after planting to assure that your new plants have gotten properly established. By the 3rd growing season, spears as thick around as your pinky-finger may be harvested, leaving the rest to continue to grow into tall ferns. Remove ferns only after they have gone dormant from frosts in the fall. An asparagus loving family will want to plant 10-15 plants per person in order to have plenty of delicious asparagus.