50 Asparagus Bare Roots – Viking KB3 Perennial Heirloom Plant Crowns

Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with our premium selection of 50 asparagus bare roots. Specifically, you will receive 50 bare root crowns of the renowned Viking KB3 variety, an exceptional choice for both novice and experienced gardeners. This open-pollinated (heirloom) asparagus is celebrated for its remarkable hardiness and its ability to produce heavy yields of thick, tender, and intensely flavorful green spears. The Viking KB3 stands as an improved selection derived from the classic ‘Mary Washington’ variety, carefully developed in Ontario, Canada. Its robust nature makes it particularly well-suited for colder climates, thriving in USDA Zones 3-9, and demonstrating impressive resilience even in hot, dry regions. Choosing to grow asparagus from bare roots offers a cost-effective and efficient way to establish a long-lasting asparagus bed, providing delicious harvests for decades to come.

These perennial asparagus plants are an investment in your culinary future, offering fresh, homegrown asparagus right from your garden. The Viking KB3 is known for its lower winterkill rates compared to many other varieties, ensuring a more consistent and reliable crop year after year. Establishing an asparagus bed is a long-term commitment, and selecting a vigorous, high-yielding variety like the viking KB3 asparagus ensures that your efforts will be richly rewarded with bountiful harvests of gourmet-quality spears. Prepare to enjoy the exquisite taste of freshly picked asparagus, a true harbinger of spring.

Key Benefits

Growing asparagus bare roots offers a multitude of advantages, transforming your garden into a source of fresh, nutritious produce. The Viking KB3 variety amplifies these benefits with its superior characteristics, making it an excellent choice for a productive and sustainable garden.

• High Yields: The Viking KB3 is specifically bred for its exceptional productivity, providing a generous harvest of spears each spring. You’ll enjoy an abundance of fresh asparagus for culinary delights.
• Superior Flavor and Texture: Known for producing thick, tender, and incredibly flavorful green spears, this variety elevates your home-cooked meals with a gourmet touch. The taste of homegrown viking KB3 asparagus is unmatched.
• Excellent Hardiness: This variety demonstrates remarkable resilience, thriving in a wide range of climates including USDA Zones 3-9. It performs well in both cold and hot, dry conditions, making it a versatile choice for many regions.
• Reduced Winterkill: Compared to other types, Viking KB3 has a lower incidence of winterkill, ensuring that your asparagus patch remains robust and productive year after year, minimizing losses during dormancy.
• Long-Term Investment: Once established, these perennial asparagus plants will provide delicious harvests for 15-20 years or more, making them a highly valuable addition to any vegetable garden.
• Heirloom Quality: As an open-pollinated heirloom, the Viking KB3 maintains its genetic integrity, ensuring consistent quality and characteristics, and allowing for seed saving if desired.
• Nutritional Value: Fresh asparagus is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, contributing to a healthy diet directly from your garden. Knowing how to grow asparagus means fresh, healthy food.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Cultivating asparagus bare roots successfully requires attention to a few key details, but the effort is well worth the delicious rewards. The Viking KB3 variety is particularly forgiving due to its robust nature, making it an excellent choice for those looking to grow asparagus. Start by selecting a site with full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Good drainage is paramount, as asparagus crowns are susceptible to rot in waterlogged soil. Amend heavy clay soils with compost or sand to improve drainage and create an optimal growing environment for your viking KB3 asparagus.

Planting typically occurs in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Dig a trench about 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Create a mound of soil at the bottom of the trench, and spread the roots of each bare crown over the mound, ensuring the crown bud is upright. Space crowns 12-18 inches apart in the trench. Cover the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil, gradually filling the trench as the spears grow throughout the first season. Water thoroughly after planting. For the first two years, it is crucial not to harvest any spears; this allows the plants to establish a strong root system, which is vital for long-term productivity of these hardy asparagus crowns. Fertilize annually in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or compost. Keep the bed free of weeds, as they compete for nutrients and moisture, hindering the growth of your perennial asparagus plants.

Size & Details

This offering includes 50 asparagus bare roots of the Viking KB3 variety. These are dormant, unpotted crowns, ready for immediate planting upon arrival. Each crown is a living plant with an established root system, ensuring a strong start in your garden. When mature, Viking KB3 asparagus typically reaches a height of 3-5 feet with a spread of 1-2 feet, forming dense, fern-like foliage after the harvest season. These hardy asparagus crowns are designed for longevity, providing a productive harvest for 15-20 years or more with proper care. The spears themselves are known for their desirable thickness and tenderness, making them ideal for a variety of culinary uses. Planting these bare roots in early spring will allow them to establish throughout the first growing seasons, with the first light harvest typically possible in the third year after planting.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these asparagus plants get? A: Once mature, Viking KB3 asparagus plants can reach a height of 3-5 feet with a spread of 1-2 feet, forming attractive fern-like foliage after the harvest season. The spears themselves are thick and robust.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: These asparagus bare roots are specifically intended for outdoor cultivation. Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that requires a dormant period and ample space to thrive in a garden setting.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: To ensure optimal growth and spear production, Viking KB3 asparagus requires full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? Is it good for beginners? A: Asparagus requires some initial effort in bed preparation and patience during the first two years when no harvesting is done. However, once established, perennial asparagus plants are relatively low-maintenance and can be a very rewarding crop for patient beginners.
• Q: What condition will the 50 asparagus bare roots arrive in? A: The 50 asparagus bare roots will arrive dormant and unpotted, carefully packaged to ensure their vitality during transit. They are ready for immediate planting upon receipt.
• Q: How long until I can harvest the spears? A: It’s important to allow the plants to establish for the first two years. You can begin a light harvest in the third year after planting. Full production typically starts in the fourth year.
• Q: Will these hardy asparagus crowns survive winter in my zone? A: The Viking KB3 variety is exceptionally hardy and well-suited for USDA Zones 3-9, meaning it will survive winter in a wide range of climates, including very cold regions, with lower winterkill rates than many other varieties.
• Q: What is the ideal soil type for growing Viking KB3 asparagus? A: Viking KB3 asparagus thrives in well-draining, fertile soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Amending heavy clay soils with organic matter like compost is highly recommended for best results.
• Q: Can I grow asparagus in containers? A: While possible, growing asparagus in containers is challenging due to their extensive root system and perennial nature. It generally requires very large containers and may not yield as well as in-ground planting.
• Q: What are these asparagus bare roots best used for? A: These asparagus bare roots are perfect for establishing a long-term, productive asparagus patch in your home garden, providing fresh, gourmet-quality spears for cooking, roasting, steaming, or grilling.