5 Millennium Asparagus Crowns – 2 Year Bare Root Plants – Zones 3-8

Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with 5 robust Millennium asparagus crowns. These premium 2 year asparagus plants are renowned for their exceptional vigor and high-quality spear production, making them a favorite among home gardeners and commercial growers alike. Developed by experts, the ‘Millennium’ variety has earned its popularity over the last quarter-century due to its impressive hardiness, adaptability, and consistently tender, flavorful asparagus. As a perennial vegetable, these asparagus crowns will provide a bountiful harvest for many years once established, offering a delicious and healthy addition to your garden and table.

Each set includes 5 fully dormant, bare root asparagus crowns, carefully inspected to ensure you receive healthy, vigorous plants ready for successful growth. The ‘Millennium’ variety excels in a wide range of soil conditions, including heavier soils, demonstrating its remarkable resilience. Plant these crowns in your garden and look forward to harvesting succulent, crisp spears that are perfect for roasting, steaming, or grilling. Experience the satisfaction of growing your own gourmet asparagus with these reliable and productive plants.

Key Benefits

Investing in Millennium asparagus crowns offers a multitude of advantages for the dedicated gardener, promising years of delicious harvests and gardening satisfaction. These 2 year asparagus plants are specifically bred for superior performance.

• High Yielding Production: The ‘Millennium’ variety is celebrated for its consistently high yields, providing an abundant supply of delicious asparagus spears each season. You’ll enjoy more harvests from fewer plants.
• Exceptional Flavor and Texture: These asparagus spears are known for their tender texture and excellent, subacid flavor, making them a gourmet delight straight from your garden.
• Robust Hardiness: Developed for resilience, Millennium asparagus crowns are highly adaptable and thrive in a wide range of climates and soil types, including heavier soils, ensuring success for diverse gardening conditions.
• Long-Term Investment: As a perennial crop, a well-established patch of asparagus crowns will continue to produce for 15-20 years or more, offering a long-lasting source of fresh vegetables with minimal annual effort.
• Disease Resistance: The ‘Millennium’ variety exhibits good resistance to common asparagus diseases, contributing to healthier plants and more consistent yields.
• Easy to Grow: Once planted, these bare root asparagus crowns require relatively low maintenance, making them suitable for both experienced gardeners and those new to growing perennial vegetables.
• Nutrient-Rich Harvest: Enjoy fresh, home-grown asparagus, packed with vitamins and minerals, adding a healthy and delicious element to your meals.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Successful cultivation of Millennium asparagus crowns begins with proper planting and consistent care, ensuring a productive patch for years to come. These 2 year asparagus plants are shipped dormant, ready for spring planting after the last hard frost. Choose a sunny location with at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Prepare your bed by digging a trench approximately 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Create a mound of soil at the bottom of the trench, and spread the roots of each bare root asparagus crown over the mound, spacing plants 12-18 inches apart. Cover the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil, gradually filling the trench as the spears grow throughout the first season.

Soil Requirements: ‘Millennium’ asparagus thrives in well-drained soil with a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5. While adaptable to heavier soils, amending with compost or other organic matter will improve drainage and fertility. Consistent moisture is crucial, especially during the establishment phase; aim for average moistness but avoid waterlogging. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer before new growth emerges, and again after the last harvest to replenish nutrients. Keep the bed free of weeds, as asparagus does not compete well with weeds, particularly in the early years.

Winter Care & Harvesting: In fall, allow the ferns to grow and photosynthesize until they turn yellow or brown, then cut them back to the ground. This process allows the plant to store energy for the following season’s harvest. Do not harvest any spears during the first year to allow the plants to establish a strong root system. In the second year, you can harvest for a short period (2-4 weeks), and by the third year, you can enjoy a full harvest season of up to 8 weeks. Harvest spears when they are 6-8 inches tall by snapping or cutting them just below the soil line.

Size & Details

This offering includes 5 individual Millennium asparagus crowns, each a robust 2 year asparagus plant, ensuring a strong start for your asparagus patch. These crowns are shipped dormant and bare root, meaning they arrive without soil, ready for immediate planting upon receipt. ‘Millennium’ asparagus plants are known for their vigorous growth and can establish a productive root system quickly when properly cared for. The mature plants will produce spears that are typically 6-8 inches long and thick, offering a tender and crisp texture.

The ‘Millennium’ variety is suitable for a wide range of growing conditions, thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 8. Once established, these perennial plants will develop extensive root systems, allowing them to produce abundant harvests for 15-20 years or more. We recommend spacing each asparagus crown 12 to 18 inches apart to allow ample room for growth and optimal spear development. Expect your first light harvest in the second year after planting, with full production commencing in the third year.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these asparagus plants get? A: While the individual spears are harvested at 6-8 inches, the ferny foliage of established Millennium asparagus crowns can grow up to 3-5 feet tall during the summer months before dying back in the fall.
• Q: What condition will the bare root asparagus crowns arrive in? A: Your 5 Millennium asparagus crowns will arrive as dormant, bare root asparagus plants, carefully inspected and packaged without soil, ready for planting.
• Q: How much sunlight do Millennium asparagus crowns need? A: For optimal growth and spear production, these 2 year asparagus plants require a location that receives full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Once established, grow asparagus is relatively low-maintenance. The initial planting and first-year care are crucial for establishment, but after that, they are quite self-sufficient.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these asparagus crowns? A: The best time to plant bare root asparagus crowns is in early spring, after the danger of hard frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
• Q: What type of soil is best for grow asparagus? A: ‘Millennium’ asparagus prefers well-drained soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. They can tolerate heavier soils but benefit greatly from organic matter.
• Q: Will these 2 year asparagus plants survive winter in my zone? A: Yes, Millennium asparagus crowns are very hardy and are suitable for USDA Zones 3-8, meaning they can withstand cold winters and hot summers within this range.
• Q: How long until I can harvest the asparagus? A: You should not harvest in the first year. A light harvest can be taken in the second year (2-4 weeks), and a full harvest (up to 8 weeks) can be enjoyed from the third year onwards.
• Q: Can I grow asparagus in containers? A: While possible, asparagus has an extensive root system, so very large containers (at least 20-gallon size per plant) would be needed, and yields may be lower than in-ground planting.
• Q: What is the recommended spacing for these asparagus crowns? A: We recommend spacing these bare root asparagus crowns 12 to 18 inches apart in your prepared garden bed to ensure adequate room for growth.