How to Plant Two-Year-Old Asparagus Crowns in Containers

Asparagus Spears

What is Asparagus?

An asparagus is a hardy perennial that can produce delicious green spears for up to 20 years (when planted in the ground).

Spears are harvested in the third year of growth when the plant is established.

Each plant produces about one-half pound of spears per year after establishment.

The first two years produce spears that open on the top and resemble an eye-appealing fern but are not edible.

Yes, You Can Grow Asparagus In Containers

If you have a lot of garden space, then growing a lot of asparagus should be no problem. However, you may want to grow asparagus in containers:

• if you don't have a lot of land
• if you have no land at all
• if you rent a house or apartment
• if you are just afraid to commit

I just couldn’t commit to putting them in the ground, so I am taking the risk! The last thing I want to do is put them in the ground and then have to dig them up if I decide to move.

My family loves asparagus, but we always get sticker shock when we go to the grocery store. When I realized that I could grow them, and I did not have to start from seed and wait for three years, I decided it was worth a try.

Things to Consider When Growing Asparagus in Containers

Learning how to grow asparagus in containers eliminates most weed problems. However, it doesn't matter whether you start from seed or these two year crowns, you need patience. Even though I am growing two year crowns, I still have to wait a year before edible shoots can be harvested.

It takes two years for plants to settle in and build up enough reserves to produce quantities worth harvesting.

This was my reasoning behind purchasing 2 year old crowns. After giving them a year to settle in, I am hoping that by the next Spring I should be able to harvest some asparagus shoots.

There are a few things to consider when raising asparagus in containers:

• Potted spears have a much shorter lifespan....three to five years as opposed to upwards of twenty for in-ground asparagus.
• Maximize output right from the start rather than build a strong foundation for future harvests. Purchase 1-year-old or 2 year-old crowns (dormant, bare-rooted starts sold by seed catalogs and nurseries in the spring) to save yourself a year of waiting.
• Choose a high-yield variety such as Jersey Knight or Jersey Supreme to ensure your small growing space will produce the most spears it possibly can. I chose Jersey Knight, Mary Washington and Purple Passion.
• Nurseries carry several types of asparagus crowns that are one to three years old.

Things You Will Need

• Plastic pots (20-inches deep and 20-inch diameter)
• Drill
• Garden-mix soil
• Trowel
• Compost
• Asparagus crowns
• Watering can
• Balanced fertilizer
• Large bowl
• Water
• Mulch

1. Start With Crowns

Bare Root Asparagus Crowns

2. Place the Bare Roots Into Water to Soak for Several Minutes

3. Select the Right Container

Keep in mind that asparagus that are planted in the ground can grow very deep. Choose a container that will simulate soil depth. Your container needs to be about 18 inches (or more) tall, and at least a foot wide. I placed only one crown in each container.

The container should be:

• large enough
• provide proper drainage
• be made of an appropriate material for growing food

Appropriate containers include:

• glazed pots
• terra cotta
• wooden boxes
• molded plastic
• Smart Pots or other lightweight cloth containers are the easiest and most affordable way to go big.

4. Provide for Drainage by Drilling Holes into the Bottom of the Container

5. Prepare the Soil

6. Gently Separate the Crowns

7. Planting the Roots

8. Use One Crown per Container

9. Top Your Crowns With 4-6 Inches of Soil, Patting It down With Your Palms to Make a Level Surface

10. Make a Level Surface

11. Water Thoroughly

12. Add Labels

13. Place in a Sunny Location

New Shoots

These first shoots will develop into mature plants so they can gather the energy needed for next Spring’s harvest

14. Support the Plants Using Stakes, When Necessary

15. Add Mulch

Cut the asparagus plants down to the soil level with a sharp knife in late fall.

• allows the plant to overwinter
• reduces the chance of rust disease from forming in the foliage.

Update on Growing 2-Year-Old Asparagus Crowns in Containers

My Favorite Dish With Asparagus

© 2017 Gina Welds Hulse

I love your step by step instructions with pictures. I have wild asparagus outside and now I’m thinking of trying indoors too. Thank you for your site. Shawn on May 21, 2019:

Don’t know what happened here but thanks for your site!

Gina Welds Hulse (author) from Rockledge, Florida on May 12, 2018:

They stay outside during the winter. The plants go dormant.

Tom W. on May 11, 2018:

What do you do with the pots in the winter?

Can they stay outside here in NJ or do they have to be stored inside till next spring

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on August 26, 2017:

Thanks for the detailed article about planning Asparagus!

Your pictures are excellent with well explained procedure. I like the idea of using pots since I don't have much land space for plantations.

Thanks for sharing this!