This post is part of the Seasonal Recipe Roundup over at Gnowfglins…..  Go check out all the great Asparagus recipes!

Asparagus is a delicious spring-time vegetable that you can find nearly everywhere in groceries. I like to buy organic asparagus if possible since we don’t normally peel the spears but cook and eat the whole thing.  I have never grown asparagus but my Mother grew it and so I have some first-hand knowledge of how to cultivate it.

You can grow asparagus in your own garden with a little fore-thought and planning.  Your garden soil must be prepared before you buy the ‘crowns’. Be sure to buy plenty of crowns. Mother had 30 or so crowns and it produced enough to feed 2 people constantly, but when there was a crowd she had to cut and save the shoots over the course of several days.  Depending on how old the crowns you buy are and your growing season, it can take up to 2 years to get a big harvest of shoots.

Asparagus needs a well-drained soil in full sun and a soul pH of about 6.0. Set crowns in the spring when all danger of frost is past.

To prepare the garden for asparagus, till it well about 8-10 inches deep. Add a good amount of well-aged compost and check the pH of the soil, asparagus needs a pH of 6.0 which is slightly on the acid side of the pH scale. To lower the pH of the soil you can add sawdust, composted leaves, wood chips, cottonseed meal, leaf mold or peat moss.

Dig a trench or furrow 10 inches wide and 10 to 12 inches deep.  In the bottom of the trench, place a 2 to 4 inche tall mound of loose soil.  Now you can add your asparagus crowns.  Space the crowns in the trenches about 18 inches apart.  Spread the roots of the crowns out at the bottom of the trench. Now cover the crowns with 2 more inches of soil. As the spears grow in spring, gradually fill in the trench to the top with new soil.

Young, tender asparagus is best so cut asparagus every day when the shoots begin to appear. Allow the shoots to grow to about 1 inch or less in diameter before cutting. Some shoots will be tall and some short. Older shoots can be used as long as you cut off the woody ends before cooking. In the grocery, look for asparagus that is fleshy and bright green, not wilted. 

There are all kinds of contraptions made to cook asparagus. Most of them include a way for cooking the shoots large end down so that the big end of the shoots will cook longer than the tender tips.

My preferred way of cooking asparagus is to roast the shoots in a hot oven. Preheat the oven to 425*F. Place the asparagus shoots on a baking sheet, sprinkle with oil and sea salt, toss the shoots gently to coat. Add some fresh rosemary if desired. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast until the shoots are tinged with golden brow and slightly crispy on the edges.  Use a spatula to turn the shoots frequently while roasting. Serve immediately.   See the nutrition data on asparagus.