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(Best months for planting Asparagus in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

• Easy to grow.
• Harvest in 2-3 years
• Sow in garden, or plant as crowns. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 30°C.
• Space plants: 20-40cm

Seeds will take 2-3 years before maturing into crowns.Plant crowns (roots) 20-40cm apart and a few cm deep in well manured soil. The asparagus shoots grow in spring. Harvest the shoots which are bigger than 1-2cm in diameter. Leave the rest to grow into the leafy ferns (1.5m tall) which will feed the crowns to give a crop next year. In autumn the ferns will be covered in bright red poisonous berries. Leave the ferns to die down in autumn, then trim off the dead stalks and pile on plenty of rotted manure/compost to give the roots plenty of food to produce new stems in spring.

Harvest by cutting off the stalk, close to the ground. From the second or third year you can get an additional crop by letting the first lot of ferns grow, then bending down the stalks to break them. A second crop of shoots will grow.

NOTE: The asparagus berries are poisonous.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Asparagus

Steaming is traditional, then coating with melted butter or hollandaise sauce.
Alternatively break in short lengths,
cook quickly in hot oil a wok and sprinkle with soy sauce or balsamic vinegar.

Your comments and tips

30 May 11 Athol Thomas (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I bought Asparagus in a bucket a year ago.There does not see enough room for a decent crop.Would I be better off to plant out in the garden in compost?

30 May 11 (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

Athol, asparagus needs a bit of space to increase its roots and shoots, so yours would probably be better off in a garden bed.

05 Jun 11 Mags (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

We live in Rangiora in Sth Island & would like to try growing asparagus. Where do you buy the crowns from & would they grow okay in a half round barrel.

12 Oct 11 Barbara Ireland (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I'm keen to grow asparagus but find all the crowns have been sold in my local garden centres - would anyone have any they can sell to me?

16 Oct 11 Linda (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Hi Barbara If you are in Christchurch we just managed to pick some up at the Riccarton Market - 5 crowns for $3

19 Oct 11 JuneB (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Is the Warkworth/ Matakana area too warm for growing Asparagus? Thanks

20 Oct 11 Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

My friend grows it quite successfully in Kerikeri so I think you will be able to in Warkworth

27 Oct 11 Ian Bardsley (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Can I spray my asparagus bed with Roundup in the winter when there are no ferns present?

29 Dec 11 barry samuel (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

where can you by asparagus crowns in Auckland in January and is it to late to plant them

27 Jan 12 Debbie Leppingwell (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Just inherited a 3yr old patch from the next door neighbour can I transplant to my garden and when is the best time Thanx