Asparagus Donation Tracker

Quick Links: How & Where to Grow | Temperature | How to Care For | Harvest Signs | Harvesting | Pruning | Pests | Companions | Varieties | Preservation | Recipes | Michigan Tips | Fun Facts

🌱 How & Where to Grow Asparagus:

• Plant 1-year crowns in trenches 6-8 inches deep in early spring.
• Choose permanent location – asparagus produces for 20+ years!
• Space crowns 12-18 inches apart in rows 4-5 feet apart.
• Dig trenches 12 inches wide, place crowns with roots spread out.
• Sunlight: Full sun (8+ hours) for best spear production.
• Soil Type: Deep, well-drained soil with pH 6.5-7.5.
• Soil Amendment: Add generous compost and phosphorus to trench bottom.

Patience required: No harvest year 1-2, light harvest year 3, full harvest year 4+!

🌡️ Temperature Guidance:

Needs winter dormancy. Spears emerge at 50°F soil. Stops producing at 85°F.

• Winter requirement: Needs dormancy period below 40°F.
• Spring emergence: Spears appear when soil reaches 50°F.
• Optimal harvest: 60-85°F air temperature.
• Summer dormancy: Stops producing spears above 85°F.
• Established plants hardy to -40°F in dormancy!

Michigan’s cold winters and moderate springs create perfect asparagus conditions!

💧 How to Care for:

• Consistent Moisture: 1-2 inches weekly, especially during spear production.
• Watering: Deep watering encourages deep root growth.
• Mulch: 4-6 inches of organic mulch suppresses weeds and retains moisture.
• Fertilizer: Apply balanced fertilizer early spring and after harvest.
• Weed Control: Critical – asparagus doesn’t compete well with weeds.

📏 Harvest Signs:

Spears 6-10 inches tall. Thickness of pencil or larger. Tight tips.

• Year 1-2: NO harvesting – let ferns grow to establish roots.
• Year 3: Harvest for 2-3 weeks only.
• Year 4+: Full harvest for 6-8 weeks.
• Spear height: 6-10 inches with tight, compact tips.
• Stop when: Spears become thin (pencil-width) – let grow into ferns.

Harvest season typically runs mid-April through early June in Michigan!

🧺 Harvesting:

Cut or snap at soil level. Harvest daily in peak season. Morning harvest best.

• Cutting method: Use sharp knife to cut 1 inch below soil surface.
• Snapping method: Bend spear until it snaps naturally.
• Daily harvest: Check patch every day during peak season.
• Cool quickly: Stand spears in water like flowers.
• All spears: Harvest all emerging spears, regardless of thickness.

✂️ Pruning:

Let ferns grow after harvest. Cut dead foliage in late fall or early spring.

• During harvest: Remove all spears – don’t let any develop.
• After harvest: Stop cutting, let all spears grow into ferns.
• Fern importance: Feeds roots for next year’s crop – never cut early!
• Fall cleanup: Cut brown ferns to 2 inches after hard freeze.
• Alternative: Leave ferns for winter interest, cut in early spring.

🪲 Michigan Pests:

Asparagus beetles, rust, fusarium crown rot.

• Asparagus beetles: Orange/black beetles and larvae – hand-pick or use row covers.
• Spotted asparagus beetle: Less common but similar damage.
• Rust: Orange spots on ferns – plant resistant varieties.
• Crown rot: Caused by poor drainage – ensure well-drained soil.
• Cutworms: Can damage emerging spears – use collar barriers.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 Companions:

Good with tomatoes, parsley, basil. Plant at edge due to permanence.

• Tomatoes: Traditional companion – may deter asparagus beetles.
• Parsley and basil: Grow well together, may improve flavor.
• Marigolds: Help deter beetles and other pests.
• Avoid: Onions, garlic, potatoes – may stunt growth.
• Location: Plant at north edge to avoid shading other crops.

🌿 Varieties:

‘Jersey Knight’, ‘Jersey Giant’, ‘Purple Passion’, ‘Mary Washington’.

• ‘Jersey Knight’: All-male hybrid, disease resistant, high yields.
• ‘Jersey Giant’: All-male, cold hardy, thick spears.
• ‘Purple Passion’: Purple spears, sweeter, tender.
• ‘Mary Washington’: Heirloom, produces both male and female plants.
• Note: All-male varieties produce more since no energy goes to seeds.

🫙 Preservation:

Freeze blanched 2-4 minutes. Pickle. Pressure can. Fresh 3-5 days.

• Fresh storage: Stand in water in refrigerator, use within 3-5 days.
• Freezing: Blanch thin spears 2 minutes, thick 4 minutes.
• Pickling: Makes excellent refrigerator or canned pickles.
• Pressure canning: Only safe method for plain asparagus.
• Dehydrating: Makes asparagus chips or powder for soup.

🧑🏽‍🍳 Recipes:

Grilled asparagus, cream of asparagus soup, asparagus risotto, roasted with lemon.

• Simple grilled asparagus with olive oil and sea salt.
• Asparagus and gruyere tart for brunch.
• Cream of asparagus soup using tender spears.
• Shaved raw asparagus salad with parmesan.
• Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto for appetizers.

✋🏼 Michigan Tips:

• Michigan’s climate perfect for asparagus – we’re a major producer!
• Oceana County is the “Asparagus Capital of the World.”
• Sandy soils of west Michigan ideal, but grows well statewide.
• Plant on slight slopes for drainage in heavy soils.
• Michigan Asparagus Festival held annually in June.
• Commercial farms use specialized harvesters.

🧠 Fun Facts:

• Asparagus is a member of the lily family, related to onions and garlic!
• Can produce for 100+ years – some patches in Europe are centuries old.
• White asparagus is the same plant grown without sunlight.
• Ancient Egyptians offered asparagus to their gods.
• Only about 50% of people can smell “asparagus pee” – it’s genetic!
• The name comes from Greek meaning “to spring up.”
• Roman emperors had special asparagus fleets for harvesting.
• Michigan produces about 20 million pounds annually!