Asparagus growing in containers will not yield as much, and will not live nearly as long as those grown in the ground, but the method does offer access to these wonderful plants to those who do not have the yard space. These plants do need lots of space, however, and will quickly outgrow a 4-gallon pot — ideally something like 15 gallons or more is preferable - about 18 to 20 inches deep and about the same as wide. They do not like transplanting, though, so if you decide to transfer them to a larger pot, wait until they are dormant in fall or winter.
For general care, wait for the ferns to die back in the fall, then cut them down to about 3 inches. Provide mulch over the crowns (some use the cut down ferns) and protect them appropriately from winter’s cold, depending on your climate (they do require some period of cold temperatures). In spring, side-dress with organic fertilizer, scratching it into the surface, and then add some compost. Be sure your pot has good drainage, and that it is set in an area where the plant can get about 6 to 8 hours full sun. Water consistently (when dry about 2 inches into soil — do not overwater).
Do not harvest from the plants until the second year after they were planted in the container (so yours would then be 4 years old if you planted 2-yr crowns in spring 2016—if you transplant them again into another pot, you ideally should wait another year again — you can play it by ear, and monitor the vigor of the plants as they come up that second year).
For more advice for growing asparagus in your area, you might try contacting your county’s Cooperative Extension. For contact information, see:
Asparagus growing in containers will not yield as much, and will not live nearly as long as those grown in the ground, but the method does offer access to these wonderful plants to those who do not have the yard space. These plants do need lots of space, however, and will quickly outgrow a 4-gallon pot — ideally something like 15 gallons or more is preferable - about 18 to 20 inches deep and about the same as wide. They do not like transplanting, though, so if you decide to transfer them to a larger pot, wait until they are dormant in fall or winter.
For general care, wait for the ferns to die back in the fall, then cut them down to about 3 inches. Provide mulch over the crowns (some use the cut down ferns) and protect them appropriately from winter’s cold, depending on your climate (they do require some period of cold temperatures). In spring, side-dress with organic fertilizer, scratching it into the surface, and then add some compost. Be sure your pot has good drainage, and that it is set in an area where the plant can get about 6 to 8 hours full sun. Water consistently (when dry about 2 inches into soil — do not overwater).
Do not harvest from the plants until the second year after they were planted in the container (so yours would then be 4 years old if you planted 2-yr crowns in spring 2016—if you transplant them again into another pot, you ideally should wait another year again — you can play it by ear, and monitor the vigor of the plants as they come up that second year).
For more advice for growing asparagus in your area, you might try contacting your county’s Cooperative Extension. For contact information, see:
http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services