If you love asparagus and you have a garden, there is a good chance that you have at least thought about growing your own fresh asparagus in your yard. When you are researching growing asparagus in your garden, chances are good that you will find that most gardeners will start with established bare rootstock.
While this is a good way to start a patch of asparagus in your garden, you may be wondering why not start your asparagus patch from seed. It is possible to start growing asparagus from seed. You will just need to know a few things in order to be successful.
The first thing that you need to know if you are going to start asparagus from seed is that you need to have patience. The reason for this is because asparagus takes 3 growing seasons to produce.
Here are 8 keys for growing asparagus from seeds.
1. Crowns or Seeds?
It will take crowns of asparagus three seasons of growing before they are ready for harvest. This is much faster than if you decide to start asparagus from seeds. With this being said, seed propagation is quite possible and is a bit cheaper than purchasing crowns.
The seeds of asparagus are referred to as berries and they will become a bright red in color during the fall. When the tops fall off, they can then be collected. Once you collect them you will want to hang them upside down. They should be kept in a space that is warm and dry.
After about a week they will ripen. Keep a bowl underneath them or tie a brown paper bag around the top of them in order to catch all of the seeds. These seeds can then be used to start your asparagus crop. You may also purchase seeds from a supplier that is reputable.