How Long Can You Keep Asparagus Roots Before Planting?

Plant Health

• Asparagus crowns should ideally be planted within two or three days after you buy them. These crowns will be moist, plump and fresh. The longer you store the crowns, the more likely they are to become dried and shriveled. Once dried out, the crowns probably won't grow well, and they might not grow at all. If you must hold them for a few days, store them in a cool place. If they're packed in peat moss, moisten it slightly.

Development

• Another reason to plant asparagus crowns quickly is to get them in the ground while they're still dormant. Dormant asparagus crowns tolerate transplanting better to become vigorous, healthy plants. If you wait until the plants start producing green foliage, you've waited too long.

Planting Time

• Because asparagus is a perennial crop that will grow for 20 years or more, proper soil preparation is vital. Select a sunny spot at the edge of your garden. Till 3 inches of compost, leaf litter or manure into the soil to a depth of 12 inches. Weeds can be a problem in the asparagus patch and should be removed before planting the crowns. Asparagus grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. In cool climates, asparagus should be planted in early spring -- about four weeks before the last expected frost. In mild climates, asparagus can be planted in fall. Order your asparagus crowns to coincide with the recommended planting times.

Planting Technique

• Planting asparagus crowns is more complicated than tossing a few seeds in the ground, but your careful preparation will pay off for years to come. Asparagus crowns should be planted in a trench 8 inches deep. Space the crowns 12 inches apart and space the rows 4 feet apart. The crowns have long white tentacles with a brown or greenish mass on top. Lay the crowns in the trench with the crown on top. After planting, cover the crowns with 2 inches of soil. More soil can slowly be added to the trench throughout the first growing season until the soil is level with the surrounding earth.