Claire Mummery: How to grow asparagus – the easy crop that keeps on giving

Plant asparagus now for a bumper summer crop that will keep growing for years. Photo/Getty Images

With self-reliance becoming an even more important topic each day as climatic conditions wipe out crops and the price of veges goes through the roof, it’s time to look at crops with longevity.

Asparagus is one such crop because once it has been planted it will keep rewarding you for 20 years.

Firstly, allow me to dispel some of the myths about this crop. Rest assured, it can still be planted if you either rent or have a small space or even just a balcony as it can be transplanted and moved.

Asparagus does enjoy a permanent home, however, if you need to move it, that can be tolerated. I have moved mine twice over the past three years and now have it all sitting in poly trays waiting for its final destination, and it is still doing well.

Asparagus does not like to be planted in boggy wet soil that pools with water as this will rot the crowns. Asparagus crowns like to mature for the first couple of years so this means letting the odd asparagus pop up and resisting the urge to pick. If you can restrain yourself, the plant will reward you in year three with significantly more spears that you can snap off and pop into your mouth raw, and I promise you, it will be like a flavour explosion. Then year after year, you will receive more and more spears as the crown expands.

Asparagus likes rich soil so once a year, in autumn, I dump a bag of horse manure on it and cover it with straw. Then the rest takes care of itself, and in springtime, it will start to grow and pop through the mulch. Over the next couple of months, you can prepare a deep pot, container or an area in your garden in readiness to plant out your asparagus crowns in August.

Once planted, simply mulch and leave. I tend to mark where I planted my crowns so I can use the space around them; I choose to plant lettuces to fill in the gaps as these will use a different area of the soil and will not affect your crowns. Asparagus loves to be planted near strawberries as they are of mutual benefit to each other.

When planting your crowns, be sure to give them at least 45cm between plants as this will give them room to expand over the coming years and not become too cramped. When they are growing and producing, they will thank you for a monthly feed of liquid seaweed but, apart from that, little else is required except admiration and love.

I hope you enjoy your asparagus plantings for many years to come.

For more gardening advice, visit growinspired.co.nz and discover Claire Mummery’s online gardening course at www.growinspiredacademy.com