How to Harvest Fresh Asparagus
Use this simple guide to learn how to harvest fresh asparagus spears from your home garden, in a tidy and efficient manner!
Asparagus is a perennial crop you can easily grow in your vegetable garden. Asparagus is easy to plant, easy to grow and care for.
But you do need to know when to harvest for the biggest crop and best results! This simple guide will walk you through everything, step by step!
Harvest Period According to Age
If you have an established asparagus patch, you can harvest for a 6-8 week window in the spring.
Never planted your own asparagus? I teach you how in my tutorial: Guide to Planting Asparagus Crowns in the Spring
However, if you planted asparagus crowns in the past 1-2 years, you need to shorten your harvest period so underground crowns have time to fully develop and mature.
First Year
Don't ever harvest asparagus the same year you plant new crowns. Tempting though it may be, let the wispy spears grow all year and develop into asparagus ferns.
Unhindered growth will help establish the plant's root system in your vegetable gardens or raised bed. Leave them alone, and you'll get thicker spears the following year that are actually worth harvesting!
Second Year
In the second year, you can take your first harvest in early spring. New spears should be cut off at ground level with a sharp knife.
You can continue to take fresh asparagus for about 3 weeks. After this time, you need to leave your patch alone.
Young asparagus plants still need time to develop their root system, and they need some above-the-ground growth to do this.
Third and Fourth Year
By the third year, your new plants will be well established, and you can harvest spears in full confidence that you won't weaken or damage your new asparagus plants.
Asparagus harvest season should be 6-8 weeks in the third and fourth year. And this is true of subsequent years as well!
When to Harvest Asparagus Spears
Harvest asparagus when developing spears are about 8 inches above the soil line. If you let them grow much taller than this, the base will become woody and tough.
Items You'll Need
There isn't much you need for harvesting asparagus!
- a sharp knife
- a basket or bowl
- plastic bag
Helpful tip: using a basket to hold freshly harvested asparagus? Take a moment to line it with a folded cloth or plastic bag, to catch the moisture from the cut ends of asparagus spears.
How to Harvest Asparagus
Step 1
In early spring, check your asparagus garden beds every few days. When asparagus spears are about 8 inches above the soil surface, they're ready to harvest!
Gather up the tools you need, and head outside to your asparagus bed.
Helpful tip: you don't need an asparagus knife for harvesting. A small kitchen knife will do, as long as you avoid accidentally cutting nearby spears that are still immature.
Step 2
Use a small knife to carefully cut asparagus spears at soil level, or thereabouts. Tender young asparagus stalks are crisp and tender, so you won't have any problem slicing through them!
Place freshly harvested asparagus in a basket or bowl. Harvest all your mature asparagus, being sure to leave stubby stalks for a few more days.
Helpful tip: if you have a wide garden bed, harvest half of the asparagus bed from one side, then the remaining half from the other side. This way you won't strain your reach and accidentally "behead" immature spears.
Step 3
Bring your harvest indoors and rinse fresh asparagus clean at the kitchen sink. It's not abnormal for cut ends to collect some dirt on account of the moisture. A quick rinse under cold running water is all you need!
Step 4
You can cook or preserve fresh asparagus immediately. Or if you want to keep it fresh in the fridge until you have enough for a big meal or preserving, I teach you how to do that below.
How to Clean Up and Care for Your Asparagus Beds
How to Keep Asparagus Fresh in the Fridge
How to Pickle Asparagus in a Water Bath Canner
Questions Folks Ask
When does the first asparagus appear in spring?
It depends on where you live! You can look for asparagus spears in early spring. In my northern climate, asparagus shoots appear about the same time dandelion flowers appear.
When does asparagus season end?
Asparagus season should end in early summer, about 6-8 weeks after you take the first harvest. In my gardens, my season ends mid to late June.
It's a good idea to mark the first harvest date on your calendar, so you know when the end of the harvest season arrives!
How do you store fresh-picked asparagus?
Harvested spears will stay fresh in the fridge in your crisper drawer for a week or so. But if you really delicious spears that stay crisp and fresh? Try storing them in a bowl of water in the fridge!
You can learn to do that here: How to Keep Asparagus Fresh in the Fridge
