When to plant asparagus in Leavenworth, WA

Plant asparagus crowns in Leavenworth Apr 15 – May 27.

Moderate Plant dormant crowns

Why these dates

Leavenworth's typical last spring frost is May 10. As a hardy perennial, this crop doesn't need to wait for that date. In the Inland Northwest, though, the soil usually isn't ready to work until about April 15.

Inland Northwest. Higher, colder interior valleys. Cold springs and an earlier fall mean a shorter season; quick-maturing varieties pay off.

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 15 – May 27, 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 Leavenworth, WA?

Typically May 10. In 9 years out of 10, frost is over by May 28. These are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for Leavenworth.

Is it too late to plant asparagus in Leavenworth?

The spring planting window runs through May 27. Potted plants can still go in later if you water them faithfully through their first summer.

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 Leavenworth around the same time

Planting dates for asparagus in nearby areas

Wenatchee, WA Apr 1 – May 13
Omak and Okanogan, WA Apr 15 – May 27
Chelan, WA Apr 1 – May 13
Winthrop and Twisp, WA Apr 17 – May 29
Ellensburg, WA Apr 15 – May 27
Spokane, WA Apr 15 – May 27

Full planting calendar for Leavenworth · Asparagus in every city