Grow asparagus in time for summer

Asparagus is a wonderful summer vegetable. Its mild flavour works well in fresh salads and quiches, and its vibrant colour brings a welcomed pop of greenery to pasta and meat dishes. These little green gems are not just a pretty face – they pack a punch of vitamins and nutrients (like iron, zinc and vitamin K) that will boost your health and keep you looking and feeling great all season long.

Planting asparagus is quick and easy, and a rather enjoyable experience if you like spending time in your garden. Growing asparagus is a different story – it takes a good year for them to mature before you can harvest them, and they require a lot of soil top-ups and watering over this period. If you love asparagus, though, they are definitely worth the wait. Why not put your green thumb to work this season, and grow your own?

When to grow asparagus

You can plant and grow asparagus all year round, but they are more appetizing when harvested in temperatures between 15°C and 26°C. If you plant yours in August, they should be ready to harvest in time for summer next year.

How to grow asparagus

1. Choose a sunny spot in your garden.

2. Prepare the soil with Pokon Universal Potting Soil and Coco Growing medium. 

3. Add Pokon Vegetable Garden Fertiliser to the soil.

4. Dig a trench that is about 20cm deep and 20cm wide.

5. Plant the asparagus crowns with the buds facing upward, about 45cm apart.

6. Cover the crowns with about 5cm soil, and water well.

7. As the spears grow, top up the trench with more soil (about 5cm per time).

8. When the trench is full, add fertiliser and mulch. 

9. Water the plants regularly. 

10. Allow the spears to grow into ferns for over a year.

11. A year or so after planting, harvest the asparagus.

Make your own: Asparagus quiche

Asparagus makes a tasty addition to salads, pastries and soups. But our favourite way to eat it is definitely in a quiche – and if it’s home-cooked, that’s even better! If you love a good quiche as much as we do, try out this recipe for asparagus quiche: 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Snap off the tender part of the asparagus spears, peel and clean them.

3. Chop up asparagus into ¾ cm chunks.

4. Boil or steam the chunks for about 10 minutes.

5. Drain and set the asparagus aside. 

6. Add pastry (premade or homemade) to a pie plate. 

7. Brush pastry with melted butter and spread asparagus on top.

8. Place eggs, cream, milk and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together.

9. Grate some cheese and stir it into the mixture.

10. Pour the mixture over the asparagus in the pie plate.

11. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 160°C and leave for another 30 minutes. 

12. Take the quiche out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. You are now ready to serve!

Ready to get planting?

So as you can see, growing your own asparagus is an easy process, and requires little maintenance. Not to mention all the delicious ways you can include it in your dishes. Now that you know how to grow asparagus, all that’s left to do is order your asparagus seedlings, and get planting! Order a pack now.