When to plant asparagus in Brookings and Gold Beach, OR

Plant asparagus crowns in Brookings and Gold Beach Apr 1 – May 13.

Moderate Plant dormant crowns

Why these dates

Brookings and Gold Beach's typical last spring frost is January 31. On the coast, the soil is usually ready for asparagus around April 1.

Coast. Mild winters but cool, foggy summers. Frost is rarely the problem; warmth is. Pick early, cool-tolerant varieties of tomatoes and squash.

Difficulty: Moderate
Sun: Full sun
Spacing: 12 to 18 inches apart
Planting depth: In a trench 6 to 8 inches deep, covered gradually as the spears grow
Frost: Hardy perennial; comes back every year
First harvest: Light picking in year two; full harvests from year three

Step by step

Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant asparagus crowns Apr 1 – May 13, 12 to 18 inches apart. In a trench 6 to 8 inches deep, covered gradually as the spears grow.
Fill the trench in gradually as the shoots grow. Keep the bed weeded, and cut the ferns down only after they turn brown in fall.
Harvest: Snap spears at soil level when they're 6 to 8 inches tall. Stop picking when new spears are pencil-thin, and let the ferns grow.

Varieties that do well here

Jersey Knight
Millennium
Purple Passion

Watch out for

Asparagus beetles chew the spears and ferns. Hand-pick them in the morning.

A bed that produces for 15 to 20 years. Don't harvest the first year, pick lightly the second, then fully from year three.

Common questions

When is the last frost in Brookings and Gold Beach, OR?

Typically January 31. In 9 years out of 10, frost is over by March 21. These are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for Brookings.

Is it too late to plant asparagus in Brookings and Gold Beach?

The spring planting window runs through May 13. Potted plants can still go in later if you water them faithfully through their first summer. Fall planting also works well here.

How long until I can pick asparagus?

Light picking in year two; full harvests from year three. Snap spears at soil level when they're 6 to 8 inches tall. Stop picking when new spears are pencil-thin, and let the ferns grow.

Also plant in Brookings and Gold Beach around the same time

Planting dates for asparagus in nearby areas

Astoria, OR Apr 1 – May 13
Coos Bay and North Bend, OR Apr 1 – May 13
Tillamook, OR Apr 1 – May 13
Newport and Lincoln City, OR Apr 1 – May 13
Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA Apr 1 – May 13
Forks, WA Apr 1 – May 13

Full planting calendar for Brookings and Gold Beach · Asparagus in every city