Asparagus
Asparagus: plant 40 cm (16 in) apart in the row and 120 cm (47 in) between rows, 1 per square. No known bad neighbours.
Key facts
| Spacing in the row | 40 cm (16 in) |
|---|---|
| Between rows | 120 cm (47 in) |
| In a 30 cm (1 ft) square | 1 per square |
| Sun | Full sun, 6–8 hours a day |
| Root depth | 40 cm (16 in) |
| Height when grown | 120 cm (47 in) |
| Crop rotation group | Herbs, flowers and perennials |
| Support | None needed |
Sowing and germination
| How it is started | From a bought plant, sown straight into the bed |
|---|---|
| Seeds per hole | 1 |
| Plants kept after thinning | 1 |
| Seeds per metre of row | 2 |
| Sowing depth | 15 cm (5.9 in) |
| Soil temperature | from 10 °C, best 24–29 °C |
| Days to emerge | 10–24 days |
| Light while germinating | Light makes no difference |
| Before sowing | Soak overnight |
| When to sow | Indoors 8 weeks before the last frost; outdoors before the last frost; soil at least 10 °C |
From seedling to plant
| Pricking out | at 2 true leaves |
|---|---|
| Takes transplanting | Only with care, keep the root ball |
| Hardening off | 10–14 days |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Cold tolerance | Takes a light frost → hardy, takes hard frost |
| Soil | Rich, with compost, free draining, pH 6–7 |
| In a pot | — |
| Watering | Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; while growing |
| Feeding | Moderate; in spring, after harvest |
| Support and training | None needed |
Harvest and planning
| Days to first harvest | 2–3 years, from planting |
|---|---|
| Ready when | The spears are a finger thick |
| Harvest window | Picked again and again, 6–8 weeks |
| Typical yield | 0.3–0.6 kg per plant |
| Botanical family | Asparagaceae |
| Watch out for | Asparagus beetle, rust |
| First crop after | 2–3 years |
| Pollination | Fruits on its own |
Plan Asparagus in your garden
Open the free planner, drop Asparagus onto a bed and see how many plants fit.
Start Planning Your GardenSowing and harvest
| Sow outdoors | Mar–Apr |
|---|---|
| Harvest | Apr–Jun |
My dates for this crop
Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.
- Not recommended
- Marginal
- Conditional
- Favourable
Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.
Grown much the same way
Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.
Artichoke
Cardoon
Patience dock
Sea kale
RhubarbWhat to plant after Asparagus
Crops that still have time to grow on the same spot once it is lifted, from another rotation group.
Radish
Black radish
Turnip
Spring onion
Lettuce
SpinachSources
The values on this page marked as checked come from these sources: spacing, sowing depth, germination, soil, timing and safety notes, each against the source named here.
- Illinois vegetable planting dates, spacing and seeds (2020) — University of Illinois Extension for: sowing depth, spacing in the row; checked 2026-10-31
- Seed germination: temperature and timing (Harrington tables) — UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR for: days to emerge, soil temperature; checked 2026-10-31