Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots. This offering includes 50 premium bare roots of the renowned ‘Jersey Giant’ variety, scientifically known as Asparagus officinalis. Celebrated for its exceptional productivity and vigor, ‘Jersey Giant’ is an all-male hybrid, which means it dedicates all its energy to spear production rather than seed formation. This results in significantly higher yields compared to traditional varieties, making it an ideal choice for gardeners seeking an abundant harvest of delicious, thick asparagus. Its adaptability to various climate zones and robust nature ensure a successful planting experience for both novice and experienced growers.

The ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus is a perennial vegetable, meaning it will return year after year, providing many seasons of fresh, homegrown spears. These Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots are dormant, ready to be planted and establish themselves in your garden, promising a long-term investment in your culinary endeavors. Known for its tender texture and rich flavor, this variety is a staple for anyone passionate about fresh, nutritious produce straight from their garden.

Key Benefits

Choosing to plant Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots brings a multitude of advantages to your garden and kitchen. This superior variety is designed to deliver a consistent, high-quality harvest year after year. Below are some of the key benefits you can expect:

• High Yielding: As an all-male hybrid, the ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus focuses all its energy on producing spears, leading to significantly higher yields compared to female or mixed varieties. This means more delicious asparagus for your table.
• Thick, Flavorful Spears: This variety is renowned for producing exceptionally thick and tender spears with a rich, classic asparagus flavor. Perfect for roasting, steaming, or grilling, these spears will elevate any meal.
• Excellent Disease Resistance: ‘Jersey Giant’ boasts strong resistance to common asparagus diseases such as Fusarium wilt and rust, ensuring healthier plants and a more reliable harvest with less intervention.
• Long-Lived Perennial: Once established, your asparagus patch will continue to produce for 15-20 years or even longer, offering a perennial source of fresh vegetables with minimal annual effort.
• Adaptable to Various Climates: This robust variety is known for its wide adaptability, thriving in many different climate zones across the US, making it a versatile choice for gardeners nationwide.
• Easy to Grow: While it requires patience in its first few years to establish, grow asparagus Jersey Giant is relatively low-maintenance once mature, making it suitable for gardeners of all skill levels.
• Nutrient-Rich Harvest: Asparagus is packed with vitamins and minerals, offering a healthy and delicious addition to your diet straight from your own garden.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper care is essential for establishing a thriving patch of Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots. Asparagus is a long-term investment, and a little effort in the beginning will lead to years of bountiful harvests. Select a site that receives full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Good drainage is crucial, as asparagus does not tolerate wet feet. Amend your soil with plenty of organic matter like compost to improve fertility and drainage. The ideal soil pH for asparagus is between 6.5 and 7.0.

When planting your all-male asparagus variety, dig trenches about 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Create a mound of soil at the bottom of the trench and spread the bare roots over the mound, ensuring the crown is at the peak. Space plants about 12-18 inches apart within the trench, and if planting multiple rows, space rows 3-5 feet apart. Cover the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil, and as the spears grow, gradually fill the trench until it’s level with the surrounding ground. Water thoroughly after planting. During the first two years, avoid harvesting to allow the plants to establish a strong root system. This patience will be amply rewarded with robust harvests in subsequent years. Fertilize annually in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or compost.

Pest and disease management for high-yielding asparagus mostly revolves around good sanitation and monitoring. The ‘Jersey Giant’ is naturally resistant to many common issues, but keeping the bed weed-free and removing any diseased foliage can help prevent problems. In colder climates, mulch your asparagus bed with straw or leaves in late fall after the ferns have died back naturally to provide winter protection. This preparation ensures your asparagus patch remains healthy and productive for many seasons, allowing you to continually grow asparagus Jersey Giant with success.

Size & Details

This offering includes 50 Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots, each carefully selected for health and vigor. These bare roots are dormant, typically 1-2 years old, and ready for planting upon arrival. When mature, ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus plants can grow quite tall, with the fern-like foliage reaching up to 4-6 feet in height, providing a beautiful backdrop in your garden. The spears themselves are known for their impressive thickness, often reaching 0.5 to 1 inch in diameter, and can be harvested when they are 6-10 inches tall.

Asparagus is a long-lived perennial, and while it requires patience in the first two years as the plants establish, it will then provide decades of harvests. You can expect your first light harvest in the third year after planting, with full production commencing in the fourth year. These bare roots ship without pots or soil, ensuring they are light and easy to handle for planting. The ‘Jersey Giant’ variety is recognized for its fast growth rate once established, quickly sending up new spears in the spring, making it a highly rewarding choice for a continuous supply of fresh, homegrown asparagus.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots get when mature? A: When mature, the fern-like foliage of Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots can reach heights of 4-6 feet. The individual spears are known for their thickness, often growing to 0.5 to 1 inch in diameter and harvested at 6-10 inches tall.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Asparagus, including the ‘Jersey Giant’ variety, is an outdoor perennial vegetable. It thrives in sunny garden beds and is not suitable for indoor cultivation.
• Q: How much sunlight does ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus need? A: ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, to produce the best yields and maintain plant health.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for, especially for beginners? A: While asparagus requires patience during its establishment phase (first 2 years without harvesting), it is relatively low-maintenance once mature. This makes grow asparagus Jersey Giant a good option for beginners willing to commit to its long-term benefits.
• Q: What condition will the bare roots arrive in? A: The 50 Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots will arrive dormant, without any soil or pot. They are carefully packaged to ensure they remain healthy and ready for planting upon arrival.
• Q: When is the best time to plant Jersey Giant asparagus bare roots? A: The ideal time to plant asparagus bare roots is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. This allows the plants ample time to establish before the heat of summer.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature this asparagus variety can tolerate? A: ‘Jersey Giant’ asparagus is cold hardy and typically thrives in USDA Zones 3-10, meaning it can tolerate winter temperatures well below freezing once established, especially with proper mulching.
• Q: How long until I can harvest asparagus after planting these bare roots? A: You should not harvest in the first two years to allow the plants to establish. A light harvest can begin in the third year, with full production starting in the fourth year and continuing for decades.
• Q: Can I use these for commercial growing? A: Yes, ‘Jersey Giant’ is a popular and reliable choice for both home gardeners and commercial growers due to its high yield and disease resistance, making it an excellent high-yielding asparagus variety for larger scale production.
• Q: What makes ‘Jersey Giant’ an ‘all-male asparagus variety’? A: Being an all-male asparagus variety means the plants produce only male flowers and no female flowers that would develop seeds. This directs all the plant’s energy into spear production, resulting in higher yields and thicker spears.