10 Jersey Giant Asparagus Bare Roots – High-Yielding Asparagus officinalis

Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with these Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots. This offering includes 10 premium bare roots of the acclaimed ‘Jersey Giant’ variety, scientifically known as Asparagus officinalis. ‘Jersey Giant’ is a highly celebrated, all-male hybrid known for its exceptional vigor and ability to produce an abundance of thick, tender, and flavorful spears. Ideal for both enthusiastic home gardeners and commercial growers, these Asparagus officinalis bare roots promise a productive and long-lasting asparagus patch. With proper care, these bare roots will establish robust plants that yield delicious harvests for many years, making them a worthwhile investment for any edible garden.

These Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots are a fantastic choice for anyone looking to grow high-quality asparagus. The ‘Jersey Giant’ cultivar is particularly valued for its disease resistance and adaptability to various climate zones, ensuring a successful harvest in many regions across the US. Planting these bare roots is the first step towards enjoying fresh, succulent asparagus straight from your garden, offering a culinary delight that store-bought varieties simply cannot match.

Key Benefits

Choosing to grow Jersey Giant asparagus offers numerous advantages for both novice and experienced gardeners:

• Exceptional Yields: The ‘Jersey Giant’ is an all-male hybrid, meaning it directs all its energy into spear production rather than seed formation, resulting in significantly higher yields compared to traditional varieties. You’ll enjoy an abundance of thick, delicious spears.
• Superior Flavor and Texture: These asparagus spears are known for their rich, sweet flavor and tender texture, making them a gourmet addition to any meal. Freshly harvested asparagus elevates any culinary creation.
• Disease Resistance: This variety boasts excellent resistance to common asparagus diseases such as Fusarium wilt and rust, ensuring healthier plants and more consistent harvests over the years. This resilience makes it a reliable choice for long-term production.
• Longevity: Once established, an asparagus bed can produce for 15-20 years or more, providing a continuous supply of fresh produce with minimal annual effort. It’s a true investment in your edible landscape.
• Adaptability: Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots are highly adaptable to a wide range of soil types and climate conditions, thriving in many USDA zones. This versatility makes it accessible to a broad spectrum of gardeners.
• Easy to Establish: While asparagus requires patience in its first few years, planting bare roots is a straightforward process, allowing you to quickly get your asparagus patch started.
• Nutrient-Rich Harvest: Asparagus is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, offering a healthy and delicious vegetable right from your backyard.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

To successfully grow Jersey Giant asparagus, proper planting and ongoing care are essential. Choose a site with full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily, and prepare your soil thoroughly. Asparagus thrives in well-draining, loose soil that is rich in organic matter. Amend heavy clay soils with compost or sand to improve drainage, and sandy soils with compost to enhance water retention. A soil pH between 6.5 and 7.0 is ideal. Dig a trench about 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide, mounding a ridge of soil in the center of the trench. Place the Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots over the mound, spreading the roots out evenly.

Space the bare roots about 12-18 inches apart in the trench. Cover the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil and water thoroughly. As the spears grow, gradually add more soil to fill the trench, ensuring the crown is always covered. Keep the bed consistently moist, especially during dry periods, but avoid waterlogging. Fertilize annually in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or compost. In the first year, resist harvesting to allow the plants to establish a strong root system; let the ferns grow and mature. In the second year, you can harvest for a short period (2-3 weeks), and by the third year, you can enjoy a full harvest season. Cut the spears when they are 6-8 inches tall and about as thick as your finger. Regular weeding is crucial to prevent competition for nutrients and water. These all-male asparagus plants are vigorous growers and will reward your patience with abundant harvests.

Size & Details

This offering includes 10 Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots, ready for planting. Each bare root is a dormant crown, carefully harvested and prepared for optimal transplanting success. When mature, ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus typically grows to a height of 3-5 feet with its ferny foliage, though the edible spears are harvested when they are 6-8 inches tall. Asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable, with a single planting providing harvests for 15-20 years or more under ideal conditions. The bare roots ship without a pot, ensuring they are in their dormant state, which is perfect for spring planting. Expect the first light harvest in the second year after planting, with full production commencing in the third year and continuing for decades.

These high-yielding asparagus bare roots are a cost-effective and efficient way to start or expand your asparagus patch. The ‘Jersey Giant’ variety is known for its robust growth habit and strong root system development, leading to healthy and productive plants. Plant these bare roots in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. With proper care and patience, you’ll soon be enjoying fresh, homegrown asparagus, a true garden luxury.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots get when mature? A: When fully mature, the ferny foliage of ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus can reach heights of 3-5 feet. The edible spears are harvested when they are typically 6-8 inches tall, before the fern fronds begin to open.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Asparagus is an outdoor perennial vegetable. These Asparagus officinalis bare roots are meant to be planted directly into your garden bed or a large raised bed outdoors.
• Q: How much sunlight does Jersey Giant asparagus need? A: ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus requires full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, for optimal growth and spear production.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for, especially for beginners? A: While asparagus requires patience, especially in its first two years (no harvesting in year one), the ongoing care for established plants is relatively low. Preparing the soil correctly initially is the most critical step for beginners to grow Jersey Giant asparagus successfully.
• Q: What condition will the bare roots arrive in? A: The 10 Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots will arrive dormant, without any foliage, and typically wrapped to maintain moisture. This is the ideal state for planting in early spring.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these high-yielding asparagus bare roots? A: The best time to plant asparagus bare roots is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked and is no longer frozen.
• Q: Will ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus survive winter in my zone? A: ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus is very cold hardy and typically thrives in USDA Zones 3-10, making it suitable for a wide range of climates across the US.
• Q: How long until I can harvest the asparagus spears? A: You should not harvest in the first year after planting. A light harvest can begin in the second year for 2-3 weeks. Full harvesting can commence in the third year and continue for 8-10 weeks each spring.
• Q: Are these all-male asparagus plants? What does that mean? A: Yes, ‘Jersey Giant’ is an all-male hybrid. This means the plants do not produce seeds, directing all their energy into growing more and thicker spears, leading to higher yields compared to female or mixed varieties.
• Q: What kind of soil is best for planting these bare roots? A: Asparagus thrives in well-draining, loose, and fertile soil rich in organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.5-7.0) is ideal for these Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots.