1Asparagus ProductionThis publication was developed by the Small-Scale and Part-Time Farming Project at Penn State with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Extension Service.Asparagus is a perennial crop that lends itself well to small-scale and part-time farming operations. Multiple markets exist for growers with 5 acres or less, and many field operations that require machinery, such as land preparation and planting, can be custom hired. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a member of the lily family (Liliaceae) and is one of a few vegetables that are monocots (plants having only one cotyledon, or seed leaf). Both male and female flowers are produced on the older asparagus varieties, but there are very few to no female flowers produced on the newer all-male hybrid varieties. Generally, spears are harvested when they are 7 or 9 inches in length and green in color. Varieties with pur-ple spears have also been developed by plant breeders. Excluding light when spears are emerging will produce blanched, or white, spears. Asparagus is believed to be indigenous to parts of Russia, the Mediterranean region, and the British Isles. It was first cultivated by the early Romans, who used the asparagus for food and medicinal purposes. It was cultivated in England over two thousand years ago and brought to America by the early colonists. However, asparagus was not extensively planted by commercial growers until after 1850. Most of the asparagus harvested in the United States is sold as fresh produce. The United States produces around 25,000–30,000 acres of asparagus with a value of $80–100 million. U.S. acreage is currently only about one-third of what it was 15 years ago due to increased imports from Central and South America. MarketingLocally produced asparagus is available in the north-eastern United States from late April through June. It is traditionally sold in pyramid crates packed with 1.5- to 2.5-pound bunches held with a rubber band. Several marketing alternatives are available to the asparagus grower: wholesale marketing, produce auctions, coopera-tives, local retailers, roadside stands, and pick-your-own operations. When planning production, first consider your ability to market. You should conduct some market research because often growers overestimate their ability to sell in a given market. Production of less than one acre of many vegetable crops is typical for most growers. AGRICULTURALALTERNATIVESextension.psu.edubigstock.com2Asparagus is an early season crop, which may benefit retail marketers when combined with other crops. In wholesale marketing, producers often contract with shippers to market and ship the asparagus for a predeter-mined price. If you do not use a contractor and ship your asparagus to a wholesale market yourself, your product will be subject to the greatest price fluctuations. Produce auctions operate weekly; however, you must deliver the asparagus to the auction. Marketing cooperatives gen-erally use a daily pooled cost and price, which spreads price fluctuations over all participating producers. Local retailers are another possible market, but you must take the time to contact produce managers and provide good-quality asparagus when stores require it. Depend-ing on your location, processors may or may not be a marketing option. Processors are less likely to contract with small-acreage growers (those with fewer than five acres). For more information on marketing, consult Agri-cultural Alternatives: Fruit and Vegetable Marketing for Small-scale and Part-time Growers. Retail marketing options include roadside stands (either your own or another grower’s) and pick-your-own operations, which provide opportunities to receive higher- than-wholesale prices for your asparagus, but you may have some additional expenses for advertising, building and maintaining a facility, and providing service to your customers. With pick-your-own operations, you save on harvest costs, but you must be willing to accept some waste. Farmers markets are another retail option, but you should contact the markets well in advance of the marketing season to be sure space is available and to find out what requirements you must follow. For more infor-mation about roadside markets, see Agricultural Alterna-tives: Developing a Roadside Farm Market.Site SelectionAsparagus should be grown on well-drained soils that have good water-infiltration rates and good moisture- holding capacity. The soil should not be compacted and the pH should be 6.2 to 7.0. Growers should avoid planting asparagus in fields where it has been grown in previous years. Asparagus is an allelopathic species—it produces and releases toxic chemicals that inhibit and suppress the growth of young asparagus transplants or crowns. In addition, asparagus is extremely susceptible to Fusarium root rot, a soil fungus that will weaken the plant. Fusarium can survive up to seven years in infected soil and soil fumigation is not effective in reducing long-term Fusarium populations in the soil. Asparagus is extremely salt tolerant.Planting and FertilizationCommercially, asparagus can be started in the green-house 8 to 10 weeks prior to transplanting in the field or planted as one- or two-year-old crowns. Crowns are developed root systems with a fairly defined storage organ and growth buds. Growers generally plant approximately 12,000 to 14,000 plants per acre in single rows, with 12 inches between plants in the row and 5 to 6 feet between rows. Whether planting crowns or transplants, the asparagus is planted in an 8-inch-deep furrow with a W-shaped con-figuration at the bottom of the furrow. The crown and transplant are planted in the W-shaped furrow beneath the soil surface, and the furrow is gradually filled with soil during the growing season. Asparagus usually is planted in May so that extensive foliage (fern) develops before winter. Fertilizer recommendations should be based on annual soil test results. In absence of soil test results, the recom-mended N-P-K application rates are 50-100-150 pounds per acre broadcast in the spring of every year before spear emergence.Pest ControlWeed control can be achieved with a good crop rotation system, herbicides, and straw mulch. Several preplant and postemergence herbicides are available for asparagus, depending on the specific weed problem and the time of year. If infestation levels are light, early cultivation (prior to spear emergence) can help reduce weed