Mary Washington, Asparagus Roots

Mary Washington Asparagus Roots

Time-tested green asparagus offers dependable heirloom flavor
Open-pollinated plantings produce both male and female plants
Established beds can remain productive for decades
Ferny summer growth adds soft ornamental texture

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Asparagus officinalis

Days to maturity

1 Year

Sun

Full Sun

Zones 2–9 Check your growing zone

About Mary Washington, Asparagus Roots, Asparagus Roots

Mary Washington is America's most popular asparagus plant for a reason! Growing your own asparagus roots is fun and healthy. Mary Washington asparagus is a perennial vegetable that can be enjoyed for many years without replanting. Its rich green foliage remains attractive long after harvest and is known for its crisp delicious taste. Mary Washington has light cuttings in 2 years; with full cuttings thereafter.

Growing details

Plant profile

Maturity

Spring

Life Cycle

Perennial

Hardiness Zone

Zones 2-9

Plant Height

48 inches

Growth Habits

Upright

Seed & variety

Color

Green

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Before Planting

Choose a permanent full-sun bed with deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Remove perennial weeds before planting, incorporate compost, and correct pH and nutrients from a soil test. Dig a 6–12 inch furrow, using the shallower end of that range in heavy soil.

Planting

Set one-year crowns in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, with buds about 12 inches apart. Arrange the roots naturally, cover crowns with a few inches of soil, and return the remaining soil gradually as shoots develop. Water after planting and keep the new bed weed-free.

Watering

Keep new asparagus beds evenly moist during their first two seasons. Established plants need deep watering during prolonged drought, especially while ferns are growing, but the crown area should never remain saturated.

Fertilizer

After harvest ends, apply compost or a balanced fertilizer according to soil-test recommendations to support fern growth. Avoid fertilizing late enough to encourage tender growth before frost.

Harvesting

Begin light asparagus harvests only after crowns are well established, usually the third growing season. Cut or snap spears when they reach usable height and before tips loosen. Stop harvesting when spear size declines, allowing ferns to develop.

Tips

Keep the bed weed-free without deep cultivation that could injure crowns. Allow ferns to grow after harvest, then remove them only after they brown naturally to replenish underground reserves.

Pests & Diseases

Fusarium crown and root rot, Phytophthora rot, rust, purple spot, and Cercospora blight can shorten an asparagus bed’s life. Reject crowns with soft tissue or reddish-brown decay. Choose well-drained ground, avoid stressing plants through drought or overharvest, control weeds, remove diseased fern debris after dormancy, and sanitize tools.

Asparagus beetles, aphids, cutworms, and slugs may damage spears and ferns. Handpick beetles and eggs, remove old fern debris after dormancy, and preserve beneficial insects that attack larvae.