Asparagus Spacing Guide

Asparagus is a long-term investment crop: prepare the soil once, plant once, and enjoy spears for many years. With healthy bare-root crowns and good spacing, you can build a patch that feeds your family or your customers every spring. At fROOTz, we hold dormant bare-root asparagus crowns in our 28° coolers each spring and ship or schedule pickup when your ground is ready.

What You Receive: Bare-root Crowns

Asparagus is planted from bare-root crowns – a central “crown” with a network of thick roots attached, not leafy potted plants. Crowns are planted deep in a trench so roots can spread and spears emerge from protected buds for many seasons.

Crown spacing in row: Most guides recommend 12–18 inches between crowns for modern hybrids, with 12–14 inches a good target for vigorous varieties.
Row spacing: Typically 4–5 feet between rows in the field for air flow and equipment access.
Planting depth: Furrows about 8–10 inches deep in most soils, slightly shallower in heavy clay.

When to Expect Asparagus Production

Year 1 (planting year): Focus entirely on establishing crowns and root systems. Let all spears grow into ferns; do not harvest this first year.
Year 2: If growth is strong, you may take a very light harvest (about 1–2 weeks) early in the season, then let the rest of the spears fern out to feed the crowns.
Year 3 and beyond: Take a normal harvest (often 4–6 weeks, depending on plant vigor), then stop cutting and allow spears to grow into tall ferns for the rest of the season.

In short: you are planting asparagus for the long haul. A little patience in years one and two pays off with heavy, reliable spring harvests for a decade or more.

General Asparagus Spacing Guidelines

Use these spacings as a starting point and adjust to your soil, variety, and equipment.

Between crowns in the row: 12–14 inches for most green varieties like Millennium and Mary Washington; closer spacing can increase spear number but may reduce diameter over time.
Row spacing (field): 4–5 feet between rows so you can cultivate, control weeds, and harvest comfortably.
Depth: Set crowns in an 8–10 inch deep furrow in lighter soils; 6–8 inches deep is often better in heavier clay so crowns are not buried too deeply.

How to Plant Crowns & Fill the Trench

Here is a simple sequence for planting asparagus crowns in a trench.

Dig the trench: 12–18 inches wide and about 8–10 inches deep (slightly shallower in heavy soils).
Crown the trench: Form a small ridge or “crown” of soil down the center of the trench, a few inches high.
Drape the crowns: Set each bare-root crown on top of the ridge with roots draped evenly down both sides, spacing crowns 12–18 inches apart.
First backfill: Cover crowns with 2–3 inches of soil, firm lightly, and water to settle.
Second backfill: As new spears grow 4–6 inches tall, add another 2–3 inches of soil around them.
Third backfill: When spears are 8–10 inches tall, add soil again, gradually bringing the trench up near level.
Final fill in fall: By late summer or fall of the first year, finish leveling the trench so the bed is even with the surrounding soil.

This gradual backfilling protects developing buds, keeps crowns at the right depth, and helps reduce weed competition in the first season.

Commercial Field Spacing & Crowns per Acre

For commercial growers, consistent spacing makes harvest and weed control much easier. The guidelines below are a good starting point for green asparagus hybrids.

Standard Field Layout

Row spacing: 5 ft between rows.
In-row spacing: 12–14 in between crowns (use 12 in for very vigorous hybrids where you want more, slightly smaller spears).

Approximate Crowns per Acre

Numbers below are rounded but helpful for ordering bare-root crowns.

5 ft rows, 14 in spacing: roughly 7,500–8,000 crowns per acre.
5 ft rows, 12 in spacing: roughly 8,700–9,600 crowns per acre (about 100 crowns per 100 row-feet).

Higher densities can increase early spear numbers but require more careful fertility, weed control, and harvest labor. Wider spacing is easier to manage and still yields heavily once crowns mature.

Examples for Small Farms & Home Gardens

20′ x 30′ Asparagus Patch

This makes a nice small-farm or family asparagus bed.

Run 3 rows down the 30′ length, spaced about 4 ft apart (12 ft of total bed width).
Each row is 20 ft long. At 18″ spacing, plan on about 13 crowns per row.
Total crowns needed: roughly 36–40 crowns for a strong family patch.

Raised Bed ~4′ x 12′

Plant 2 rows in the bed, about 18–24 in apart.
Space crowns 18 in apart within each row.
Total crowns needed: about 10–12 crowns per raised bed.

Single Row Along a Fence (30–40 ft)

Space crowns 12–18 in apart along the row.
On a 30 ft row at 18 in spacing, you will plant about 20 crowns.
Total crowns needed: 20–25 crowns, depending on row length and spacing.

How Many Asparagus Crowns to Plant?

Backyard fresh-eating (family of 4): 25–40 crowns, depending on how often you want asparagus on the table.
Heavy asparagus eaters / some to freeze: 50–75 crowns.
Small farm trial block (about 1/8 acre): 900–1,200 crowns, based on your chosen spacing.
Full acre planting: roughly 7,500–9,500 crowns, depending on in-row spacing and row width.

Establishment & Harvest Timing Tips

Year 1: No harvest; allow all spears to grow into tall ferns to build root reserves.
Year 2: Take only a very light harvest (about 1–2 weeks) if crowns are vigorous, then stop cutting and let spears fern out.
Year 3+: Harvest normally for 4–6 weeks in spring, stopping when spear diameter noticeably declines, then allow ferns to grow.
Fern care: Healthy fern growth after harvest is critical; it feeds the crowns and sets up next year’s crop.

If you are unsure how many crowns to order for your acreage or garden size, we are happy to talk through your layout and help match you with the right number of bare-root asparagus crowns for your goals.