Jersey Asparagus Crowns – 5 Bare Root Plants, 2-Year Old, Fall Planting Vegetable

Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with our premium Jersey asparagus crowns. These 2-year-old bare root plants are specifically chosen for their robust vigor and exceptional productivity, promising bountiful harvests for years to come. Jersey is a highly acclaimed, all-male hybrid variety known for producing huge, uniform, and incredibly tender spears. Unlike female plants that put energy into producing berries, these mostly all-male plants focus their energy on spear production, resulting in significantly higher yields and larger spears. They are an excellent choice for both seasoned gardeners and those new to growing perennial vegetables, offering a long-lasting and delicious addition to your home garden. Prepare for a spring full of fresh, homegrown asparagus!

As a perennial vegetable, asparagus is a long-term investment that keeps giving back. Once established, your Jersey patch will provide succulent spears year after year, typically for 15-20 years or more. These crowns are shipped dormant and bare root, ready for successful establishment in your garden. With proper care, you’ll soon be enjoying crisp, flavorful asparagus straight from your own backyard, making them a cornerstone of any productive fall planting vegetables garden.

Key Benefits

Our Jersey asparagus crowns offer numerous advantages for the home gardener, ensuring a successful and satisfying experience:

• Exceptional Yields: This highly productive, mostly all-male variety is renowned for its impressive yields, delivering more spears per plant compared to older varieties. You’ll enjoy abundant harvests each spring.
• Superior Spear Quality: Experience extra-large, uniform, and wonderfully tender spears that are perfect for a variety of culinary uses. Their crisp texture and subacid taste make them a gourmet delight.
• Cold-Hardy & Heat-Tolerant: Designed to thrive across a wide range of climates (USDA Zones 3-10), Jersey asparagus exhibits excellent resilience to both cold winters and hot summers, ensuring reliable performance.
• Long-Lived Perennial: Once planted, these asparagus crowns will produce for 15-20 years or more, providing a continuous supply of fresh asparagus with minimal effort after establishment.
• Versatile Culinary Use: The delicious spears are ideal for fresh eating, steaming, roasting, grilling, or adding to salads, offering endless possibilities in the kitchen.
• Easy to Grow: While requiring initial establishment, asparagus is relatively low-maintenance once mature, making it a great choice for gardeners looking for a rewarding perennial crop.
• Self-Pollinating: These plants are self-pollinating, simplifying the planting process and ensuring successful spear development without needing multiple varieties for pollination.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Successful growing asparagus, especially the Jersey asparagus crowns, starts with proper site selection and soil preparation. Asparagus thrives in full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Choose a permanent location, as asparagus beds are long-lived. The soil should be well-drained with average moistness and a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5. Amend heavy clay soils with compost or sand to improve drainage, and sandy soils with organic matter to enhance water retention. Dig a trench about 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Create a mound of soil in the bottom of the trench, and spread the roots of the bare root crowns over the mound. Space plants 12-18 inches apart in the trench.

After planting, cover the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil, gradually filling the trench as the spears grow throughout the first season. Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Fertilize annually in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or compost. The first year, allow the ferns to grow fully to build up root reserves; do not harvest any spears. In the second year, you can harvest for a short period (2-3 weeks). By the third year, a full harvest period of 6-8 weeks is typical. Harvest spears when they are 6-10 inches tall by snapping them off at ground level. This productive asparagus variety will reward you for years to come.

Size & Details

This offering includes 5 asparagus bare root plants of the Jersey variety. Each crown is 2 years old, providing a significant head start compared to younger crowns or seeds, meaning you’ll achieve harvestable spears sooner. These dormant bare root plants are ready for planting upon arrival, typically in fall or early spring, depending on your climate zone. The mature plants will produce spears that are extra-large and uniform, emerging at desired thickness. The ferns will mature into a feathery soft foliage, reaching heights of 4-6 feet during the growing season. We recommend spacing these plants 12-18 inches apart to ensure ample room for growth and optimal air circulation. Expect your first light harvest in year two, with full production by year three, continuing for decades. These crowns are cold-hardy and heat-tolerant, making them suitable for USDA Zones 3-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do Jersey asparagus plants get? A: The spears typically grow 6-10 inches tall before harvesting. The fern-like foliage that develops after harvesting can reach heights of 4-6 feet during the growing season.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Asparagus is an outdoor perennial vegetable that requires full sun and thrives in garden beds. It is not suitable for indoor cultivation.
• Q: How much sunlight does Jersey asparagus need? A: These plants require at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to produce large, healthy spears. Full sun is essential for optimal growth and yield.
• Q: Is growing asparagus difficult for beginners? A: While asparagus requires patience in its first two years (no significant harvest), it is relatively easy to grow once established. Proper site preparation and initial care are key to its long-term success. This productive asparagus variety is a great choice.
• Q: What condition will the asparagus arrive in? A: The Jersey asparagus crowns will arrive dormant and bare root, meaning they will have no soil and will not be actively growing. This is the ideal state for planting and ensures successful establishment.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these asparagus crowns? A: The best time for planting bare root asparagus crowns is typically in the fall after the first frost, or in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. This allows the roots to establish before active growth begins.
• Q: What is the ideal soil pH for growing Jersey asparagus? A: Jersey asparagus prefers a soil pH level between 6.5 and 7.5. It’s recommended to test your soil and amend it if necessary to achieve this range.
• Q: Will Jersey asparagus survive winter in my zone? A: Yes, Jersey is very cold-hardy and suitable for a wide range of climates, thriving in USDA Zones 3-10. It will go dormant in winter and re-emerge in spring.
• Q: How long until I can harvest from these 2-year-old crowns? A: With 2-year-old crowns, you can expect a light harvest (2-3 weeks) in the second year after planting. By the third year, you should be able to enjoy a full harvest of 6-8 weeks.
• Q: Are these plants self-pollinating? A: Yes, Jersey asparagus plants are self-pollinating, making them convenient for any garden setup.