Asparagus Variety Pack – 30 Bare Root Crowns – Jersey Knight, Mary Washington, Purple Passion – Live Plant

Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with our premium asparagus variety pack. This collection is specifically curated for gardeners who desire both a bountiful harvest and a diverse culinary experience right from their backyard. Featuring 30 robust, 2-year old bare root crowns, this pack includes three exceptional varieties: the reliable Jersey Knight, the classic Mary Washington, and the gourmet Purple Passion. These bare root asparagus crowns are chosen for their vigor, distinct flavors, and adaptability, promising a successful and long-lasting asparagus patch. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener looking to expand your perennial beds or a beginner eager to grow asparagus at home, this trio provides an excellent foundation for a thriving, productive garden.

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a highly prized perennial vegetable, celebrated for its tender spears that emerge in spring. By offering a variety of types, this pack allows you to enjoy a spectrum of flavors and colors, from the traditional green of Jersey Knight and Mary Washington to the sweeter, vibrant purple of Purple Passion. These perennial asparagus plants are an investment that will yield delicious results for decades, making them a cornerstone of any productive kitchen garden.

Key Benefits

Our asparagus variety pack offers numerous advantages for any gardener, from enhancing your culinary options to providing a reliable, long-term food source. Experience the joy of harvesting your own fresh, flavorful asparagus year after year.

• Three Distinct Varieties: Enjoy the best of three worlds with Jersey Knight, Mary Washington, and Purple Passion. This combination provides a beautiful and flavorful assortment perfect for fresh eating, grilling, or cooking, offering a range of textures and tastes.
• Fast-Start Crowns: Each of the 30 crowns is 2 years old, significantly reducing the time to your first substantial harvest. These mature crowns establish more quickly than younger plants, allowing you to enjoy fresh asparagus sooner. This makes it an ideal asparagus garden kit for those eager for quicker results.
• Perennial Harvests: Once established, these perennial asparagus plants will produce for many years, often for 15-20 years or more. This makes them a highly sustainable and economical addition to your garden, providing a consistent supply of fresh vegetables.
• Flavor and Color Diversity: Explore a range of culinary possibilities. Jersey Knight and Mary Washington offer robust, classic green asparagus flavors, while Purple Passion provides sweeter, more tender, and visually striking purple spears that retain their color when lightly cooked.
• Home Garden Friendly: These varieties are well-suited for various home garden setups, including traditional garden beds, raised beds, and even food forests. Their resilience and adaptability make them an excellent choice for anyone looking to grow asparagus at home.
• High Yield Potential: With 30 crowns, you are setting up for a significant yield once the plants reach full maturity, ensuring plenty of asparagus for your family and perhaps even some to share.
• Disease Resistance: Selected varieties offer good resistance to common asparagus diseases, contributing to healthier plants and more consistent harvests.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your asparagus variety pack involves understanding their needs for proper establishment and long-term productivity. Asparagus thrives in well-prepared beds and with consistent care. To grow asparagus at home successfully, start with optimal soil conditions. Asparagus prefers well-draining, enriched garden soil. Amend your planting area generously with compost or aged manure to improve fertility and drainage. A soil pH between 6.5 and 7.5 is ideal. Dig trenches about 6-8 inches deep and 12-18 inches wide. Create a mound of soil in the center of the trench and spread the roots of each bare root crown over the mound, ensuring the crown is slightly below the soil surface.

Asparagus requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Adequate sunlight is crucial for spear production and overall plant health. Water newly planted crowns thoroughly and keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during the first year of establishment. Once established, asparagus plants are relatively drought-tolerant but will benefit from deep watering during dry spells. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or compost, especially after the first year. For those looking to maximize their yield from these perennial asparagus plants, maintaining a weed-free bed is essential, as weeds compete for nutrients and moisture.

These asparagus varieties are hardy in USDA Zones 3-10, making them suitable for a wide range of climates. In colder zones, ensure adequate winter mulching to protect the crowns. The full harvest typically begins in year 3, with increasing yields over time. During the first two years, it’s important to allow the ferns to grow and mature, as this builds up the crown’s energy reserves for future harvests. Only harvest a few spears in the second year, if any, and then begin full harvesting in the third year. This careful establishment ensures your asparagus garden kit provides decades of enjoyment.

Size & Details

This asparagus variety pack includes 30 total 2-year old bare root crowns, providing a substantial start to your asparagus patch. You will receive 10 bare root Jersey Knight asparagus plants, 10 bare root Mary Washington asparagus plants, and 10 bare root Purple Passion asparagus plants. These crowns are shipped dormant and ready for immediate planting upon arrival. Each crown is robust and well-developed, ensuring a strong start for your garden. Asparagus plants typically grow to heights of 3-5 feet with their fern-like foliage once established, creating an attractive backdrop in your garden throughout the summer.

The 2-year old crowns are considered ‘fast-start’ material, meaning they have already undergone a year of growth and development, which helps them establish more quickly in your garden. While you should expect to harvest lightly in the second year after planting, the full production potential of these perennial asparagus plants will be realized from the third year onwards. This collection is ideal for creating a productive bed that will yield delicious spears for decades, allowing you to consistently grow asparagus at home with minimal effort after initial establishment.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this asparagus variety pack get? A: Once established, the fern-like foliage of these asparagus plants typically grows 3-5 feet tall. The spears themselves are harvested when they are 6-10 inches tall.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Asparagus is an outdoor perennial vegetable. These bare root asparagus crowns are designed for planting directly into your garden beds to establish a long-term harvest.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: Asparagus requires full sun, 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? A: Asparagus requires some initial effort for bed preparation and establishment, but once mature, it is a relatively low-maintenance perennial, making it easy to grow asparagus at home for many years.
• Q: What condition will the crowns arrive in? A: The 30 crowns will arrive as bare root plants, dormant and ready for planting. They are hand-inspected to ensure premium quality before shipping.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these bare root asparagus crowns? A: The best time to plant bare root asparagus crowns is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked.
• Q: How long until I can harvest from these perennial asparagus plants? A: You can expect a light harvest in the second year after planting, with full production beginning in the third year and continuing for 15-20 years or more.
• Q: What USDA Zones are suitable for these varieties? A: These asparagus varieties are hardy and suitable for planting in USDA Zones 3-10.
• Q: Can I use different varieties from the asparagus variety pack in separate beds? A: Yes, you can plant the Jersey Knight, Mary Washington, and Purple Passion crowns in separate beds or intermix them within the same bed for variety.
• Q: Do these asparagus plants require any special soil? A: They thrive in well-draining, fertile soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Amending with compost is highly recommended for best results.