Mary Washington Asparagus Crowns – 20 Two-Year-Old Heirloom Perennial Vegetable

Overview

Cultivate a gourmet delight right in your backyard with these premium Mary Washington Asparagus crowns. Renowned for its vigorous growth and delicious, tender spears, Mary Washington is a classic heirloom variety that has been a favorite among gardeners for generations. This offering provides 20 two-year-old heirloom asparagus plants, which are perfectly aged to ensure a strong start and quicker establishment in your garden. Planting crowns rather than seeds significantly reduces the waiting time for your first harvest, allowing you to enjoy fresh asparagus sooner. Asparagus is a true culinary treasure, offering a distinct flavor profile that elevates any meal, whether steamed, roasted, or grilled. These robust crowns are the foundation for a long-lasting, productive perennial vegetable garden, providing a sustainable source of nutritious vegetables year after year.

The Mary Washington variety is celebrated not only for its superior taste but also for its disease resistance and adaptability to various growing conditions. It produces thick, succulent green spears with tight tips, making it ideal for both home consumption and sharing with friends and family. Establishing an asparagus bed is a rewarding long-term investment, as these plants can continue to produce for 20 years or more with proper care. This bundle of 20 crowns is an excellent way to start a substantial asparagus patch, ensuring a generous yield once established. Prepare to enjoy the unparalleled freshness of homegrown asparagus, a true harbinger of spring.

Key Benefits

Investing in these Mary Washington Asparagus crowns brings a multitude of benefits to your garden and your table. These robust plants offer an exceptional return on investment through decades of delicious harvests.

• Long-Term Production: Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that can produce for 20 years or more, offering a sustainable source of fresh produce from a single planting. This longevity makes it a highly valuable addition to any perennial vegetable garden.
• Heirloom Quality: The Mary Washington variety is a time-tested heirloom, celebrated for its superior flavor, tender texture, and reliable performance. You’ll be growing a classic.
• Early Harvest: By starting with two-year-old crowns, you significantly reduce the waiting period compared to planting seeds. You can typically begin harvesting light crops in the second year after planting.
• Nutrient-Rich: Asparagus is packed with vitamins K, A, C, E, and B vitamins, as well as folate, iron, and potassium, making it a healthy addition to your diet.
• Disease Resistance: The Mary Washington variety is known for its good resistance to common asparagus diseases like rust and fusarium wilt, contributing to a healthier and more productive patch.
• Culinary Versatility: Fresh asparagus spears are incredibly versatile in the kitchen, perfect for steaming, roasting, grilling, stir-frying, or adding to quiches and salads.
• Garden Beauty: Beyond its edible qualities, the fern-like foliage of asparagus adds an attractive, feathery texture to the garden throughout the summer months.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Growing a successful patch of Mary Washington Asparagus crowns requires careful preparation and ongoing maintenance, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Asparagus thrives in a permanent location with excellent drainage and plenty of sunlight. Choose a site that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, as full sun is crucial for vigorous growth and spear production. Prepare your soil thoroughly by digging a trench about 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Amend the soil with a generous amount of compost or well-rotted manure to improve fertility and drainage. Asparagus prefers a soil pH between 6.5 and 7.0, so a soil test prior to planting is highly recommended to adjust pH if necessary.

When planting your heirloom asparagus plants, create a mound of soil in the bottom of the trench, spreading the roots of each crown over the mound. Space crowns about 12-18 inches apart. Cover the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil, ensuring the top of the crown (where the roots meet the stem) is just below the surface. As the plants grow, gradually fill in the trench with soil throughout the first growing season. Water thoroughly after planting and keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Avoid harvesting any spears in the first year after planting to allow the crowns to establish a strong root system. This patience will be rewarded with a more robust and productive patch in subsequent years. For an optimal asparagus planting guide, remember that consistent watering during dry periods and annual fertilization in early spring are key to maintaining plant health and maximizing yields.

Fertilize your asparagus bed annually in early spring with a balanced granular fertilizer or compost. Keep the bed free of weeds, as asparagus does not compete well with them. Mulching can help suppress weeds and retain soil moisture. In late fall, after the foliage has turned yellow and died back, cut the ferns down to about 2 inches above the ground. This helps prevent diseases and prepares the bed for winter. Asparagus is generally hardy in USDA zones 3-10, so it can withstand cold winters and hot summers once established. By following these care guidelines, you can successfully grow asparagus at home and enjoy bountiful harvests for many years to come.

Size & Details

This product includes 20 two-year-old Mary Washington Asparagus crowns. Each crown is a dormant root system, carefully cultivated for two years to ensure optimal vigor and establishment once planted. These crowns are typically robust and well-developed, ready to be planted directly into your garden. When mature, Mary Washington asparagus plants can reach a height of 3-5 feet with a spread of 1-2 feet, forming attractive fern-like foliage throughout the summer. The spears themselves, when ready for harvest, are typically 6-8 inches tall and about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter.

Starting with two-year-old crowns means you’ll establish a productive patch faster than from seed. While no harvesting is recommended in the first year after planting, you can typically begin a light harvest in the second year, with full production commencing in the third year. These crowns are designed for outdoor cultivation in a dedicated asparagus bed, providing a long-term source of fresh vegetables. Proper spacing during planting is crucial to allow for adequate growth and air circulation, ensuring a healthy and productive perennial vegetable garden for decades.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these Mary Washington Asparagus crowns get? A: The crowns themselves are dormant root systems. Once planted and established, the mature asparagus plants will grow fern-like foliage that can reach 3-5 feet tall with a spread of 1-2 feet. The spears you harvest are typically 6-8 inches long.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these asparagus crowns? A: The ideal time to plant Mary Washington Asparagus crowns is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. This allows the plants to establish their root systems before the heat of summer.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Asparagus is an outdoor perennial vegetable. It requires a permanent spot in a sunny garden bed and is not suitable for indoor cultivation.
• Q: How much sunlight does Mary Washington Asparagus need? A: Asparagus thrives in full sun, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal growth and spear production.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? Is it good for beginners? A: While establishing an asparagus patch requires initial effort and patience, once established, it is relatively low-maintenance. It’s a good project for intermediate gardeners or beginners willing to follow an asparagus planting guide carefully.
• Q: What condition will the crowns arrive in? A: The heirloom asparagus plants will arrive as dormant, bare-root crowns, carefully packaged to ensure their health during transit. They should be planted as soon as possible after arrival.
• Q: How long until I can harvest asparagus spears? A: It is crucial not to harvest any spears in the first year after planting to allow the crowns to establish. You can begin a light harvest in the second year, and a full harvest will be possible from the third year onwards.
• Q: What type of soil is best for growing asparagus? A: Asparagus prefers well-draining, fertile soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Amending the soil with compost or well-rotted manure before planting is highly beneficial.
• Q: Will these Mary Washington Asparagus crowns survive winter in my zone? A: Mary Washington asparagus is hardy in USDA Zones 3-10. This means it can tolerate a wide range of winter temperatures and will go dormant, returning in spring.
• Q: How do I prepare the soil to grow asparagus at home? A: Dig a trench 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Create a mound of soil at the bottom of the trench, and spread the crown’s roots over it. Amend the soil with plenty of organic matter.