How do i grow Asparagus plant from seeds in Canada?

Question

I have been trying to grow Asparagus plant from seeds and so far i haven't succeed in doing so. I know that many people would say why not simply buy asparagus root stock which will start budding when planted, but for me i like the challenge of growing any plant from seeds. This is the soul of a true gardener. Although the growing season is short in Canada but the time and effort spent on trying to grow plant from seeds is well worth it. Besides, a lot of the departmental stores such as Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Rona, Canadian tire does not seem to sell Asparagus seedlings. They only sell seeds but correct me if i am wrong.

I have used the paper towel method in which the Asparagus seeds was placed into the wet paper towel and the whole thing is then placed into a sealed zip lock bag or air tight container. I waited for about a month and did not get any result and so i threw away those seeds. I have heard that it is quite hard to grow Asparagus from seeds. Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

If you want to grow asparagus, you will need to have patience because it takes about three weeks for the seeds to sprout, sometimes even a month. If you are going to grow asparagus from seeds, what you should do is soak the seeds in lukewarm water for about 24 hours. Then you can put those seeds in the seed starter tray with soil. Asparagus seeds like soil consisting of Peat moss, Vermiculite and some compost. They like loose soil during seed sprouting but then once they grow bigger, they can tolerate much heavy garden soil. You will need to keep the soil moist and warm between 21 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius. Anything cooler than this will not allow the Asparagus seed to sprout.

Do not use the paper towel method because the seeds will not sprout or it will take much longer to sprout. Asparagus seeds does not like to be drowned in the moist paper towel. You won't be able to harvest the Asparagus on the first or second year because the shoots will be too thin and weak for you to harvest. It is only on the third year when you see young shoots coming out of the ground, then you can cut them before their leaves open up. Cut them leaving about one inch above ground or cutting at soil line is okay too.

Answer 2

Watch video on "How you can start growing asparagus from seeds and then transplant them to another bigger soil area. Keep in mind that it actually takes about 5 years for asparagus to start producing sufficient produce for eating. Asparagus has to be harvested while it is young and soft":