Sowing

• Seeds can be sown throughout the year. For better results seeds can be sown anytime in monsoon season and seedlings are transplanted after about a month.
• Seeds are first sown indoors in seedling trays or outdoors on seed beds & later the seedlings are transplanted into the container or in raised beds.
• Take a seedling tray with medium sized cells & drainage holes at the bottom.
• Fill the cells/cups with a moist coco soil (Loose cocopeat) medium.
• Sow 2-3 seeds per cell/cup. Asparagus Seeds can be sown 0.5 to 1 cm deep.
• You can place the seeds on the surface of the medium & push each seed inside the medium by using a pencil tip, so that seeds are not visible on the surface anymore & cover it with more coco-peat.
• Or make small, 0.5 to 1m cm deep holes on medium with pencil bottoms. Put the seed on that hole & sprinkle more coco-peat on the top to cover the seed.
• Keep the seedling tray indoors till the seeds germinate.
• Keep the seed tray covered with paper or cloth for the first 4-5 days to encourage faster seed germination.
• Spray the water on the seed tray in the mist form with the help of hand sprayer.
• If seed beds are made outdoors, protect them from rain or direct sunlight. Use well sieved fine soil as a sowing medium & make a nice raised bed from it. Cover the bed by making a temporary roof of a plastic sheet. Water it in the form of a light shower using a watering can.

Caring

• 35 to 40 days after the seed sowing, your seedlings will be ready to transplant in container pots or raised beds.
• Choose a container with a minimum depth of 12-14 inches & bigger spread area (according to available space & your requirement) like big Trays or crates.
• Ideal planting mixture for Asparagus: 2-part garden soil & 1-part organic manure. Or, 1-part garden soil, 1-part coco-peat & 1-part Vermicompost.
• Transplant the seedling along with the root ball of a medium, without disturbing its roots.
• Plant the seedlings minimum 1.5 feet apart (45x45 cm), from each other on raised beds or in a container.
• Sunlight: Asparagus grows well under full sunlight in winter and minimum 4 to 6 hours sunlight in summers.
• Watering: Water your potted Asparagus plant every alternate day in winter. Water at the soil near the plant. Use a watering can and make sure that the plants get water in the form of the shower & not by a single jet flow. You can also make provision for watering by drip irrigation system for your raised beds. Avoid overwatering
• Add good quality organic manure in the soil with 2:1 ratio before transplanting the seedling. Organic fertilizer can be well rotten cow dung manure, farmyard manure, compost or Vermicompost.
• Apply balanced liquid fertiliser or handful of vermicompost to each plant, every 15 days after transplantation.
• Always look for the early signs of any insect/fungal/ any other infections. Spray appropriate medicines as soon as any symptoms of such diseases are spotted. Watch out for Snails & slugs.
• 250 to 260 days after transplantation, (300 days from seed sowing) Asparagus herb will be ready for harvesting. Young & thick shoots (Spears) are harvested from the base. Seasonal harvesting can continue for many years.

Common Problems

Why is my Asparagus plant not growing?
Asparagus needs plenty of space. If you are growing your plant in shallow soil or a small container, the plant's growth will be stunted. Also for properly planted Asparagus, it is important to Keep the roots moist and cover them with organic mulch.
Why is my Asparagus not giving enough production?
Good production depends on the soil, which must be very light. Soil mixture can be made lighter by adding coarse river sand. Also interestingly, male Asparagus plants have higher yields than female ones. As the plants look similar they only can be identified after flowering. It's better to grow more than three to four plants per garden.
Why is my plant dying?
Asparagus, once established, is a very hardy plant that does not catch that many diseases. Plant is vulnerable only at early stages post transplantation. Spray appropriate medicines as soon as you notice the first signsof any pests or infection.