Mary Washington Asparagus Seeds

Developed more than a century ago in response to the outbreak of asparagus rust disease, this New England variety has been the standard-bearer for vigor and disease resistance. It has great cold hardiness (it’s easily tolerant of Zone 3 conditions), and like all asparagus prefers well-drained soil.

To increase germination, we recommend soaking the seeds in warm water for 24-hours before planting. Then, once growing, the spears should not be harvested until the second or third year so that the plants can fully establish and build up root mass to sustain future prolific yields. Starting in the fourth year, the spears will be best harvested as early in Spring as possible for tender shoots, with some shoots to grow to maturity which will result in large, busy plants.

Asparagus will typically continue to provide good yields for 15 to 20 years. When they decline in productivity, the plants can be dug up and the crown can be divided to produce smaller plants with renewed vigor.

Note: most people grow asparagus in traditional tidy, organized vegetable gardens. However, asparagus largely retains its wild heritage and will happily grow in all kinds of places – vacant urban lots and abandoned factory wastelands, wild meadows, in hügelkultur beds and in the understory of fruit orchards – we’ve planted our own asparagus on the edges of farm hedgerows. This is a great vegetable for nestling into all kinds of spaces. 

50+ seeds (1.5 grams).