Back to growing guides 

VegetablesHardyPerennial (long-lived)
Asparagus
Asparagus is a permanent spring vegetable grown from crowns for tender spears that return year after year once established. It takes patience to build a productive bed, but few crops offer the same sense of early-season reward from a long-lived planting.
Basic information
Category
Vegetables
Lifecycle
Perennial (long-lived)
Hardiness
Hardy
Planting partners
2 companions · 0 crops to avoid
Growth profile
Germination window
10–21 days
Germination temperature
21–29 °C
Plant spacing
45 cm
Row spacing
45 cm
Sowing depth
2 cm
Height
150 cm
Spread
45 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Keep asparagus beds meticulously weed free so shallow crowns are not crowded, and do not rush harvesting from newly planted crowns before they have built strength. After picking season ends, let the ferny top growth mature fully so the plant can recharge for next year.
Common pests
Asparagus beetle, slugs on young spears, rust, crown rot.
Don’t grow with
No crops to avoid have been added yet.
