Asparagus
A genuine patience crop: newly planted crowns need two to three years to establish before the first proper harvest, and picking spears too early weakens the plant for good. Modern varieties are mostly all-male hybrids, bred because male plants put their energy into spears rather than wasting it on seed production, giving noticeably heavier yields than older mixed-sex types. Once established in a permanent bed, a well-kept asparagus patch can keep cropping for 15-20 years, so it's worth choosing the spot carefully since the plants resent being moved.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 40cm
- Harvest
- Ready in about 2-3 years
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Expected yield
- 700g-1kg of spears per plant per season once established
- Cost to grow
- ~$15 NZD
- Grocery value
- ~$60 NZD
- Mature height
- 1.5m
- Evergreen
- No, deciduous
- Companion plants
- Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil
- Plants to avoid nearby
- Onions, Garlic
- Common diseases
- Asparagus rust, Root rot in poorly drained soil
- Common pests
- Asparagus beetle
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: July-September. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: August-September. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: September.
Growing stages
Planting & establishmentLate winter to early spring, as bare crowns
- Choose a permanent, full-sun spot with free-draining soil, as asparagus dislikes being moved once planted
- Plant crowns into a trench and backfill gradually as shoots grow, rather than all at once
- Resist the urge to harvest any spears in the first year; let all growth turn into ferny foliage to build the crown
Early growthYear 1-2
- Keep weeding by hand around the shallow-rooted crowns rather than hoeing deeply, which can damage them
- Watch for asparagus beetle on the ferny foliage through summer
- Still no harvesting in year two; a light picking is usually possible by year three
HarvestSpring, 6-8 week harvest window once established (year 3 onwards)
- Cut or snap spears at ground level once they reach 15-20cm, before the tips start to open
- Stop harvesting after 6-8 weeks each spring and let remaining spears grow into ferny foliage
- Asparagus beetle can strip foliage in summer; check plants regularly through the growing season
Dieback & dormancy
- Leave the ferny foliage standing until it yellows and dies back fully in autumn, it's feeding next year's crown
- Cut foliage back to ground level once fully brown, then mulch the bed for winter
- A well-maintained bed can keep producing for 15-20 years, so avoid disturbing the crowns