At this time of year we are all in the process of filling our plots with short-lived and fast-growing annual vegetables and salads, but it is worth saving some space for the slow-burners of the veggie world — perennial veg — those which just keep growing to give a crop year after year. And none are as long term as asparagus.
Growing asparagus isn’t difficult, but it does require a little patience. Plants are relatively easy to grow from seeds, but you will have to wait for at least three years before you get to harvest any of those delicious spears.
Also, female plants (those producing berries) may have to be identified and weeded out to prevent self-seeding. Yet there is an easy way to speed up the process and that is to buy ready-grown, predominantly male plants — known as crowns — from a reliable supplier. This is the ideal time to order and plant some.