When to plant asparagus in Shelton, WA

Plant asparagus crowns in Shelton Mar 30 – May 11.

Moderate Plant dormant crowns

Why these dates

Shelton's typical last spring frost is April 27. As a hardy perennial, this crop can go in about 4 weeks before that.

West-side valleys. The Willamette Valley, Puget Sound and southern Oregon valleys. Long frost-free seasons, but soil stays cold and wet into May, so warm crops wait for warm soil, not just the last frost.

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 Mar 30 – May 11, 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 Shelton, WA?

Typically April 27. In 9 years out of 10, frost is over by May 12. These are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for Shelton Sanderson Field.

Is it too late to plant asparagus in Shelton?

The spring planting window runs through May 11. 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 Shelton around the same time

Planting dates for asparagus in nearby areas

Seattle and Tacoma, WA Mar 15 – Apr 26
Everett, WA Mar 15 – Apr 26
Olympia, WA Apr 1 – May 13
Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA Mar 15 – Apr 26
Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA Mar 15 – Apr 26
Portland, OR Mar 15 – Apr 26

Full planting calendar for Shelton · Asparagus in every city