Long-lived perennial; invest 2 years of patience for decades of harvests
Select your zone to highlight your exact planting dates. Dates are calculated from each zone's average frost dates.
| Zone | Last Frost | Start Indoors | Transplant | Direct Sow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2A | May 30 | — | May 2 | — |
| Zone 3B | May 15 | — | Apr 17 | — |
| Zone 4A | May 8 | — | Apr 10 | — |
| Zone 4B | May 1 | — | Apr 3 | — |
| Zone 5A | Apr 25 | — | Mar 28 | — |
| Zone 5B | Apr 18 | — | Mar 21 | — |
| Zone 6A | Apr 21 | — | Mar 24 | — |
| Zone 6B | Apr 10 | — | Mar 13 | — |
| Zone 7A | Apr 5 | — | Mar 8 | — |
| Zone 7B | Mar 28 | — | Feb 28 | — |
| Zone 8A | Mar 20 | — | Feb 20 | — |
| Zone 8B | Mar 12 | — | Feb 12 | — |
| Zone 9A | Feb 28 | — | Jan 31 | — |
| Zone 9B | Feb 15 | — | Jan 18 | — |
| Zone 10A | Feb 1 | — | Jan 4 | — |
| Zone 10B | Jan 15 | — | Dec 18 | — |
| Zone 11A | Jan 1 | — | Dec 4 | — |
Asparagus is the garden’s long-term investment. Plant it once and harvest it for 20-30 years. The patience required in years 1-2 pays off in decades of spring harvests.
Good companions: tomatoes, basil, parsley, asters (repel asparagus beetles)
Avoid planting near: onions, garlic, potatoes
Beginning in year 3; harvest spears when 6-8 inches tall before tips feather out