Would you believe that if you planted asparagus today you would still be harvesting stalks in 2028? Twenty years (or more!) is the average life span of a healthy crown of asparagus. I know this sounds crazy, but let me explain. Asparagus can be started from seed, but if you want to fast track harvesting (which I did) you can purchase established crowns. A crown is basically a root system that has been growing for a few years. Picture a mass of tangles you would never want to comb out and that is a crown. Looking to purchase  established crowns? Click here.

Once your crowns have arrived, they need to be planted in trenches. I dug out out three trenches measuring 12", 16", and 20" in depth. Why the different depths? The rationale is that the most shallow trench will yield the first crop, followed in a few weeks by the next deepest, etc. This would help prolong the asparagus season.

Digging so many trenches with just a shovel and a wheelbarrow might not have been the smartest thing. It is  back breaking work. Next time, I think I would rent or borrow some kind of tilling machine. You also need a temporary area to put the dirt once you have excavated it from the earth. I say temporary because you will fill the trenches back in once the crowns are planted.

Now the waiting begins. I'm sorry to report, but you really can't harvest anything for the first two years. Why? You are trying to establish a root system that is going to outlast the next four presidents, so you want to give them some time to settle in. All of this might sound like too much work for some. But keep in mind, you will be harvesting and eating asparagus into your old age.

So after years of waiting and resisting the urge to sneak a stalk, I'm happy to report a bumper crop has started to emerge. What have you planted that has taken more than a few seasons to mature? Has it been worth the wait?

I'm going to start to harvest so check back later this week for a spring recipe using asparagus that is sure to impress.