5 Mary Washington Asparagus Crowns – 2 Year Bare Root Plants – Heavy Yield Heirloom Vegetable

Overview

Transform your garden into a productive haven with 5 Mary Washington asparagus crowns. These premium 2-year bare root plants are a beloved heirloom variety, celebrated for their exceptional flavor, robust growth, and consistent performance in home gardens. As a classic choice for gardeners, Mary Washington asparagus provides a dependable perennial vegetable harvest year after year. This variety is renowned for producing crisp, tender spears with an excellent taste profile, making it a staple for both novice and experienced growers seeking high-quality produce. Planting these bare root crowns offers a head start, allowing for quicker establishment and earlier harvests of this delicious and nutritious vegetable.

The Mary Washington asparagus cultivar has stood the test of time, proving its adaptability and resilience across various climates. Its strong yield potential and ease of cultivation contribute to its enduring popularity. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting your journey with perennial vegetables, these bare root asparagus crowns offer a reliable foundation for a bountiful asparagus patch that will feed your family for many seasons.

Key Benefits

Investing in Mary Washington asparagus crowns brings numerous advantages to your home garden and culinary endeavors. This heirloom variety is known for its reliability and delicious harvest potential.

• Exceptional Flavor and Texture: Enjoy crisp, tender asparagus spears with a distinct, subacid flavor that is prized by chefs and home cooks alike. These spears are perfect for roasting, steaming, grilling, or enjoying fresh.
• Heavy Yielding Heirloom: As a classic heirloom variety, Mary Washington is known for consistently producing abundant harvests once established, ensuring a generous supply of fresh asparagus each season.
• Long-Term Perennial Production: Once planted, these asparagus crowns will continue to produce for 15-20 years or more, offering a sustainable and low-maintenance source of fresh vegetables. This makes growing asparagus a truly rewarding long-term project.
• Winter Hardy and Heat Tolerant: Adaptable to a wide range of climates, Mary Washington asparagus thrives in USDA Zones 3–8, demonstrating excellent resilience to both cold winters and warm summers.
• Disease Resistance: This robust variety exhibits good natural resistance to common asparagus diseases, contributing to its long-term health and productivity in the garden.
• Easy to Grow for All Skill Levels: While requiring initial bed preparation, these heirloom asparagus plants are relatively low-maintenance once established, making them suitable for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
• Nutrient-Rich Vegetable: Asparagus is packed with vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins K, A, C, and folate, making it a healthy addition to any diet.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper care is essential for establishing a productive asparagus patch from your Mary Washington asparagus crowns. Choose a site with full sun, receiving at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. The soil should be well-drained with a pH between 6.5–7.5; sandy loam is ideal. Amend heavy clay soils with organic matter like compost to improve drainage. Dig a trench 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide, then create a mound of soil at the bottom of the trench. Place the bare root crowns on top of the mound, spreading the roots out evenly.

Cover the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil, leaving the trench partially open. As the spears grow, gradually fill the trench with more soil until it’s level with the surrounding ground. Water thoroughly after planting. During the first two years, avoid harvesting to allow the plants to establish a strong root system. Focus on keeping the bed weed-free and consistently moist, especially during dry spells. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or compost. These perennial vegetable plants benefit from a layer of mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.

After the first two years, you can begin harvesting spears when they are 6-8 inches tall and about the thickness of a pencil. Snap them off at ground level. Stop harvesting when the spears become thin, typically after 6-8 weeks, to allow the ferns to grow and replenish the plant’s energy for the next season. In late fall, after the ferns turn yellow or brown, cut them back to the ground. This helps prevent disease and prepares the plants for winter dormancy. With proper care, your growing asparagus patch will provide delicious harvests for decades.

Size & Details

This offering includes 5 Mary Washington asparagus crowns, which are 2-year-old bare root plants. These crowns arrive dormant, without soil, ready for immediate planting in your prepared garden bed. A 2-year-old crown is well-established, offering a significant head start compared to 1-year crowns or seeds. Each crown is robust and healthy, ensuring a strong foundation for future growth. Once established, individual plants can grow ferns up to 5-7 feet tall, and the spears themselves are typically harvested when 6-8 inches in height. The recommended spacing for these bare root asparagus plants is 12-18 inches apart to allow for optimal long-term growth and productivity. Expect your first light harvest in the third year after planting, with full production commencing in the fourth year and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: While the harvested spears are typically 6-8 inches long, the fern-like foliage of mature Mary Washington asparagus plants can grow quite tall, reaching heights of 5-7 feet during the growing season.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Mary Washington asparagus is an outdoor perennial vegetable. It requires a period of winter dormancy and is best grown in garden beds or dedicated asparagus patches.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: Asparagus plants thrive in full sun, requiring 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: Once established, Mary Washington asparagus crowns are relatively low-maintenance. The initial bed preparation and first two years of care are crucial for establishment, after which they require annual fertilization and winter cutback.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: The 5 Mary Washington asparagus crowns will arrive as bare root plants, meaning they are dormant and shipped without soil. This is the standard and best way to ship asparagus crowns for successful transplanting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these asparagus crowns? A: The ideal time to plant bare root asparagus crowns is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked, after the danger of hard frost has passed. This allows them to establish before the heat of summer.
• Q: Can I harvest asparagus the first year? A: It is strongly recommended to wait until the third year after planting before beginning to harvest your heirloom asparagus plants. This allows the crowns to develop a strong root system, ensuring long-term productivity.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Mary Washington asparagus is very winter-hardy and thrives in USDA Zones 3–8. It requires a cold dormancy period to produce well.
• Q: What kind of soil is best for growing asparagus? A: Asparagus prefers well-drained, fertile soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Amending with plenty of organic matter is beneficial for these perennial vegetable plants.
• Q: What are the benefits of choosing 2-year-old crowns? A: Two-year-old crowns are more mature and have a more developed root system than 1-year crowns, leading to quicker establishment and often earlier, more robust harvests when growing asparagus.