Asparagus 'Mary Washington'

Mary Washington is an heirloom, female variety of asparagus that is grown for its flavour, vigorous growth, early production, and disease resistance. Green spears with a purple hue have a nutty-sweet taste and are well adapted to cool regions. 

Asparagus is a perennial and only needs to be planted once. However, it can take 1-3 years before you will get a sizeable crop. The first year you should not harvest at all and instead, focus on growing a strong, healthy root system. In the second year, you can harvest lightly for 2-3 weeks. By the third year your asparagus should come into full production and you can harvest for 6-8 weeks. 

To harvest, use a knife just below surface level to cut the stalks off, just above the crown. Stop harvesting by June to allow vegetative growth to recover energy for next year. 

Asparagus grows best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil. Amend your soil with organic matter such as compost if you have heavy, poorly drained soil. While the plant is establishing, water deeply and frequently to encourage strong root growth. Once established, you should only need to water during periods of drought.