Last year we built a raised bed and planted 40 Jersey Giant asparagus plants. Over the summer they all came up and we had a beautiful “wall” of 3-4 ft high fronds. This is now the second season for the plants and supposedly we can do a light harvest so I carefully cut about 5 of the stalks to sample. Just like everything else in the garden, fresh asparagus is so much juicier and flavorful than what you get from the store. A gastronomic delight! I can’t wait until next year when we can begin a full harvest.

My one area of concern is the bare patch to the middle right of the bed (see lower photo). Nothing peeking through the ground yet. I think it may be due to the way the sun falls on this bed or that those plants may have been set a little deeper. Given that all the other plants have survived I’m fairly confident that these too will eventually emerge.

About Jersey Giant: First Male hybrid (90%) asparagus variety released by Rutgers University. Widely adaptable with excellent yields over a wide range of regions. High level of resistance to rust. Good resistance to Fusarium root and crown rot for high yield potential. Excellent spear size and color for fresh market (green spear/purple bracts). Very attractive presentation.