Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Mary Washington Asparagus is an open pollinated, heirloom perennial vegetable. In the early spring, this is one of the first vegetables to emerge from the ground. This variety produces early-edible, long & straight, dark-green spears, with tight purpling tips that are uniform in size. The cutting season lasts around 55 days. Mary Washington Asparagus consists of both male and female stalks, and is resistant to rust fungi and cold temperatures. Patience is required when growing asparagus, as they need two to three years before producing large enough spears to harvest. Plant them once, and you get to enjoy season after season of asparagus with minimal maintenance. Each plant can live well past 12 years. Once they are harvestable, Mary Washington Asparagus is delicious in stir-fries, stews, or on the grill, but can also be delicious raw sliced thinly on salad or in coleslaws.
NAME: Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
VARIETY: Mary Washington
DAYS TO MATURITY: 90-140 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Perennial
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 3 – 9
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun Needed
SOIL: Fertile, loose soil with a pH 6.8 – 7.1
PLANT HEIGHT: 48 – 60 inches
SPACING: 14 – 18 inches apart
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Plan to start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last local spring frost
Start seeds in small pots or large, deep plug cell trays with proper seed starting mix
To decrease germination time, soak seeds for 12 hours before seeding into cells/pots
Sow 1 or 2 seeds per cell, ½ inch deep
Seeds need 60 to 70°F soil to germinate, so use a heat mat if necessary
Germination will occur in 30 to 40 days, so keep soil consistently moist and be patient
Grow lights may be required if you do not get enough sunlight on a windowsill or sunroom
Before transplanting outdoors, harden off seedlings for several days. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night (Outside temps should be above 50°F when you start this process)
Start seeds outdoors only if you live in a warm climate where frost is not an issue in the Spring
Soak the seeds in water for 12 hours before planting into your soil beds
Pick a soil bed that receives full sunlight and is free of rocks, weeds and has loose fertile soil
Once soil temperatures reach a minimum of 55°F, you can sow seeds ½ inch deep, spaced 6 inches apart with rows that are 6 inches apart
Water in seeds, keeping surrounding weeds to a minimum and seeds will germinate between 30 to 40 days
Once seedlings germinate and get to be 6 inches tall, thin out seedlings so they are spaced 12 inches apart
Mulch around the plants to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and maintain soil temperature.
Fertilize the plants with a balanced fertilizer or compost in the spring and early summer to support growth.
Weed regularly to prevent competition for nutrients and water.
As the fern-like foliage grows, provide support with stakes or a trellis to prevent bending or breaking.
Asparagus needs two years to mature; you can begin to harvest on the third year without diminishing the plants health
Begin harvesting Mary Washington Asparagus spears when they are about the thickness of a pencil and snap easily when bent. When harvesting asparagus, cut them down 2 inches below the soil level and 2 inches above the ‘crown’; or base of the root. The harvest window is about 8 weeks from when the stalks emerge.
Cut the ferns down to 2 inches in late fall.
Stop harvesting when the spears become thinner or when new spears are smaller in diameter.
