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Planting & Care for Edible Plants – Asparagus
Preparation
- Asparagus needs plenty of room to grow.
- Pick a sunny location to plant.
- Make sure your soil pH level is around 6.5-7.0. If you’re not sure contact your local UW Extension office to help test your soil level.
- Asparagus is planted in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.
- Asparagus does not like to have its feet “wet,” so be sure your bed has good drainage. For that reason, raised beds can be a good place to plant asparagus.
Opening Plant Material
- Bare Root - Cut open the bundle (top and roots are tied) and separate all the plants. Soak roots in buckets of water until planted (preferably overnight). Each plant type will be labeled separately for identification. Do not expose the roots to sun. They should never dry out. Keep roots covered. All bare-root plants must be trimmed when planted.
Planting Bare Root
- Prepare a bed of fine, loamy soil to which a liberal dressing of composted manure has been added and tilled in.
- Plant 1 foot apart in rows 4 feet apart.
- To plant, make a trench about 6" to 8" deep.
- Plant Asparagus with the bud facing upward and cover with 3" of soil. Water well.
- As plants start to grow, fill in trench with the additional soil until, by mid-summer, the ground is level.
- When the trench is filled, add a 4 to 8 inch layer of mulch and water regularly.
- Do not cut any new shoots, but allow the "ferny" foliage to grow and store food for next year.
- Scroll below and click on the orange box “Handling & Planting Guidelines” for an illustration on how to plant these bare root plants.
Pruning – After Planting
- Do not cut any new shoots, but allow the "ferny" foliage to grow and store food for next year.
Pruning - Through-out the Season
- Cut down dead foliage in late fall and side-dress with compost.
Harvesting
- Do not harvest the spears in the first year, but cut down dead foliage in late fall and side-dress with compost.
- Asparagus can take three growing seasons to harvest; you may be able to lightly harvest during the second year.
Watering - After Planting
- Plants typically take approximately 6 weeks to establish new roots in your soil. During this period, water plants as often as every 2-4 days at the start and at least a minimum of once per week. Beyond the 6 week establishment period, water once per week, unless rains occur.
- Stick your finger into the soil around 3” to check soil moisture.
Watering - Through-out the Season
- After the first season, plants should only be watered during extended periods without rain.
- How do you know if your plants need water? The easiest way to tell is to touch the soil around the roots. If it is moist, there is no need to water. If it is dry, give it a good soaking with the hose end (no nozzle) watering the soil only, not the leaves.
- Stick your finger into the soil around 3” to check soil moisture.
Go to our "Plant Features & Video Tab" for more information & tips on caring and maintaining this plant.
Special Features & Videos for Asparagus
Special Plant Features & Tips
- The Purple Passion Asparagus produces beautiful purple stalks that are very sweet with 20% more sugar than the green varieties.
- This asparagus bears well at a young age.
- The Purple Passion Asparagus does turn green when cooked but is more tender and nuttier than older varieties.
- It is rust resistant.
- This asparagus plant needs full sun.
- Mature growth is around 3-4' tall x 12-24" wide.
- Asparagus needs plenty of room to grow.
- Pick a sunny location to plant.
- Make sure your soil pH level is around 6.5-7.0. If you’re not sure contact your local UW Extension office to help test your soil level.
- Asparagus is planted in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.
- Asparagus does not like to have its feet “wet,” so be sure your bed has good drainage. For that reason, raised beds can be a good place to plant asparagus.
- Do not cut any new shoots, but allow the "ferny" foliage to grow and store food for next year.
- Cut down dead foliage in late fall and side-dress with compost.
- Do not harvest the spears in the first year, but cut down dead foliage in late fall and side-dress with compost.
- Asparagus can take three growing seasons to harvest; you may be able to lightly harvest during the second year.
How do we dig our bare root plants?

Since we grow all of our nursery stock our availability changes every year.The sizes listed below are not available for every product we offer.For example, perennials will typically only be offered in a #1 container size.Our larger nursery stock like evergreens and shade trees will typicallyonly come in large B&B (balled & burlap) sizes only. | ||||
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Popular Sizes | ||||
Item | Approx. Weight (lbs.) | Approx. Base Diameter | Approx. Height | Shipping Method |
#1 Container | 10 | 8" | 10" | FedEx |
#3 Container/Grow Bag | 25 | 10" | 15" | FedEx |
2' - 5' Bare Root | 5 - 35 | 5 - 15" | 2 - 5' | FedEx |
Containers/Grow Bags | ||||
Item | Approx. Weight (lbs.) | Approx. Base Diameter | Approx. Height | Shipping Method |
#1 Container | 10 | 8" | 10" | FedEx |
#2 Container | 15 | 12" | 12" | FedEx |
#3 Container/Grow Bag | 25 | 10" | 15" | FedEx |
#5 Container/Grow Bag | 40 | 14" | 10" | McKay Delivery* |
#7 Container/Grow Bag | 35 - 50 | 14 - 16" | 1 - 2' | McKay Delivery* |
#10 Container/Grow Bag | 55 - 70 | 18" | 1 - 3' | McKay Delivery* |
#15 Container/Grow Bag | 65 - 80 | 22" | 2 - 3' | McKay Delivery* |
#20 Container/Grow Bag | 100 - 160 | 24" | 7 | McKay Delivery* |
#25 Container/Grow Bag | 130 - 200 | 24 - 30" | 8' | McKay Delivery* |
Bare Root | ||||
Item | Approx. Weight (lbs.) | Approx. Base Diameter | Approx. Height | Shipping Method |
#1 & #1 1/2 Bare Root | 5 | 5 - 8" (no soil on roots) | 5 - 10" | FedEx |
12" Bare Root | 5 - 10 | 5" (no soil on roots) | 10 - 12" | FedEx |
15" Bare Root | 8 - 10 | 10 - 12" (no soil on roots) | 12 - 15" | FedEx |
18" Bare Root | 10 - 15 | 10 - 15" (no soil on roots) | 15 - 18" | FedEx |
2' Bare Root | 15 | 12" (no soil on roots) | 2' | FedEx |
3' Bare Root | 20 | 15" (no soil on roots) | 3' | FedEx |
4' Bare Root | 25 | 18" (no soil on roots) | 4' | FedEx |
5' Bare Root | 30 | 20" (no soil on roots) | 5' | FedEx |
6' Bare Root | 35 | 22" (no soil on roots) | 6' | McKay Delivery* |
8' Bare Root | 40 | 22 - 24" (no soil on roots) | 8' | McKay Delivery* |
9' Bare Root | 45 | 24 - 30" (no soil on roots) | 9' | McKay Delivery* |
1 3/4" caliper Bare Root | 50 | 30" (no soil on roots) | 5 - 6' | McKay Delivery* |
1 1/4" caliper Bare Root | 55 | 32" (no soil on roots) | 8 - 11' | McKay Delivery* |
1 1/2" caliper Bare Root | 60 | 32" (no soil on roots) | 10 - 12' | McKay Delivery* |
2 1/2" caliper Bare Root | 65 | 32 - 35" (no soil on roots) | 10 - 16' | McKay Delivery* |
Balled & Burlap (B&B) | ||||
Item | Approx. Weight (lbs.) | Approx. Base Diameter | Approx. Height | Shipping Method |
2' tall B&B | 50 | 12 - 16" | 2' | McKay Delivery* |
3' tall B&B | 60 - 250 | 22 - 24" | 4' | McKay Delivery* |
4' tall B&B | 250 | 22 - 24" | 5' | McKay Delivery* |
5' tall B&B | 325 | 16 - 24" | 5' | McKay Delivery* |
6' tall B&B | 150 - 325 | 24 - 30" | 6' | McKay Delivery* |
7' tall B&B | 500 - 700 | 30" | 7' | McKay Delivery* |
8' tall B&B | 600 - 700 | 30 - 32" | 8' | McKay Delivery* |
9' tall B&B | 700 | 30 - 35" | 9' | McKay Delivery* |
1 1/4" caliper B&B | 250 - 700 | 22" - 28" | 8 - 11' | McKay Delivery* |
1 1/2" caliper B&B | 350 - 600 | 24" - 30" | 10 - 12' | McKay Delivery* |
2" caliper B&B | 600 - 700 | 28" - 32" | 10 - 14' | McKay Delivery* |
2 1/2" caliper B&B | 700 - 1,000 | 30" - 36" | 10 - 16' | McKay Delivery* |
3" caliper B&B | 850 - 1,200 | 34" - 38" | 12 - 18' | McKay Delivery* |
3 1/2" caliper B&B | 1,000 - 1,200 | 36" | 3' | McKay Delivery* |
*McKay Delivery - This shipping method can only be used when your delivery address is within 60 miles of Waterloo, Wisconsin. McKay will hand delivery your nursery stock. We can delivey any size, but typically this shipping method is used for oversize items that FedEx cannot ship.
Growing Zones: 3-7
Color: | Green, Purple |
Plant Size: | 3-4' tall x 12-24" wide |
Fruit: | Purple (turns green when cooked) |
Sunlight: | Full Sun |
Soil Conditions: | Normal, Sandy, Clay, Acidic, Dry |
Low Maintenance: | Yes |
Deer Resistant: | No |
Attracts Butterflies: | No |
Attracts Bees: | No |
Attracts Birds: | No |
Edible: | Yes |
Native: | No |