Please forgive me as I do not think this is either a fruit or grown in an orchard, but you all seem so knowledgable about home gardens I thought I would ask. I am going to plant asparagus in raised beds as soon as the 1 year old crowns arrive. I have heard that they only produce edible fruit every third year and that I will just get tall, weed-like things this year and fruit next year. My question is will I have to leave room to plant one year old crowns next year and the year after to get fruit every year once they are established? Or will I get all three forms of the plant every year after this first planting and from now on? Thanks for sharing your expertise with a novice gardener.
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable. You eat the stalk that emerges before it grows very tall, similar to rhubarb. I think you let it grow without harvesting the first year to establish root system. Thereafter you harvest the stalks as they reach adequate height. You would not need to leave room for additional plantings in following years.
Your county extension office may have publications available to tell you more. WA Extension has a publication for commercial asparagus crop establishment at: http://farm-mgmt.wsu.edu/PDF-d.....eb1779.pdf
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