Asparagus is not the cheapest vegetable on the market – far from it, in fact. But its price is certainly justified if one looks at the time and patience required growing it from the seed. You can only do this if you are sure you will be living in the same place for a very, very long time.
The seeds must be soaked in water for a couple of hours before planting, and must be planted in wet, sticky soil. After three weeks the first signs of life appear.
If there are female plants with berries on them, they must be removed and only male plants must be kept. In the first year after sowing, you can not cut anything from the plant. You have to transplant the crowns, but no eating.
In the second year it is recommended that you still do no cutting. It will be ideal to just let it grow. In year three, you can do some cutting but only for three to five weeks. Finally in the fourth year after planting, you can fully enjoy your asparagus!
Asparagus plants will live up to fifteen to twenty years, so at least this process won't have to be repeated often.
