Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with our premium purple passion asparagus crowns. This offering includes 10 robust, 2-year-old bare root plants, ready to establish quickly in your garden. ‘Purple Passion’ is a highly sought-after variety, distinguished by its unique, attractive purple color and exceptionally tender, sweet, and nutty flavor. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, these asparagus crowns are an excellent choice for producing a bountiful harvest of gourmet asparagus. As a live plant, it promises years of delicious spears, making it a valuable long-term addition to any vegetable patch.

The ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus is not only a culinary delight but also adds an aesthetic appeal to your garden with its striking color. These 2 year asparagus plants are known for their vigor and high-yielding potential, ensuring you’ll have plenty of fresh asparagus to enjoy. Its distinctive characteristics make it a favorite among home gardeners and commercial growers alike, offering a superior taste experience compared to traditional green varieties.

Key Benefits

Purple passion asparagus crowns offer a multitude of benefits for the discerning gardener and food enthusiast. Their unique qualities make them a standout choice for any garden.

• Exceptional Flavor Profile: Enjoy a distinctively sweet and nutty taste, often noted as milder and less fibrous than green varieties. This makes ‘Purple Passion’ a gourmet choice for fresh consumption.
• Vibrant Culinary Appeal: The beautiful purple color adds an attractive visual element to salads and other dishes. While cooking may reduce the intensity of the purple hue, it remains a fantastic, flavorful accent.
• High Yield Potential: These asparagus plant care practices will be rewarded with a productive harvest, as ‘Purple Passion’ is known for being a high-yielding variety, providing plenty of spears for your family.
• Established Growth: As 2-year-old bare root plants, these crowns are well-established and ready to thrive, reducing the waiting time for your first harvest compared to younger crowns.
• Versatile Use: Excellent for eating fresh in salads, steaming, grilling, or roasting. Its tenderness and flavor make it a superior ingredient in a variety of culinary applications.
• Long-Term Investment: Asparagus is a perennial vegetable, meaning once planted and properly cared for, these crowns will produce for 15-20 years, offering a continuous supply of fresh produce.
• Garden Beauty: Beyond its edible qualities, the fern-like foliage of asparagus plants adds an attractive, feathery texture to the garden throughout the growing season.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper asparagus plant care is crucial for a successful and long-lasting harvest of your ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus. These bare root asparagus crowns require specific conditions to flourish. Begin by selecting a site that receives full sun, ideally 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. The soil should be well-drained, loose, and rich in organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH level, between 6.5 and 7.0, is optimal. Before planting, amend the soil with compost or well-rotted manure to improve fertility and drainage.

When planting your purple passion asparagus crowns, dig a trench about 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Create a mound of soil in the center of the trench and spread the roots of each crown over the mound. Space the crowns 6-8 inches apart in the row and cover them with 2-3 inches of soil. As the spears grow, gradually fill the trench with more soil until it’s level with the surrounding ground. Water thoroughly after planting. During the first two years, focus on establishing a strong root system; avoid harvesting spears during this period. Keep the area weed-free, as weeds compete for nutrients and moisture. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer or compost once the plants are established.

Water regularly, especially during dry spells, ensuring the soil remains consistently moist but not waterlogged. Asparagus is a hardy plant, generally tolerant of USDA zones 3-8, making it suitable for a wide range of climates. In colder regions, apply a thick layer of mulch in late fall to protect the crowns over winter. Monitor for common pests and diseases, though asparagus is relatively resistant. By following these guidelines for growing purple asparagus, you’ll ensure your plants are healthy and productive for many years.

Size & Details

This offering includes 10 healthy ‘Purple Passion’ bare root asparagus crowns. Each crown is a 2-year-old plant, meaning it has an established root system that will allow for quicker establishment and a sooner harvest compared to younger crowns. Asparagus plants typically grow to a height of 3-5 feet when mature, with a spread of about 1-2 feet. The spears themselves, which are the edible part, emerge in spring and can be harvested when they are 6-10 inches tall and about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. These bare root crowns are shipped without soil, ready for immediate planting upon arrival.

While the first significant harvest is usually in the third year after planting, the robust nature of these 2 year asparagus plants means you are well on your way to enjoying fresh, home-grown asparagus. The recommended spacing for optimal performance is 6-8 inches between crowns in the row, allowing ample room for growth and nutrient uptake. With proper care, these plants will provide delicious harvests for 15-20 years or more, making them a fantastic long-term addition to your garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: Mature ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus plants typically grow to a height of 3 to 5 feet with a spread of 1 to 2 feet. The edible spears are harvested when they are 6-10 inches tall.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus is an outdoor perennial vegetable that thrives in full sun and well-drained garden soil. It is not suitable for indoor cultivation.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal growth and yield, these purple passion asparagus crowns require at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Asparagus requires some initial care during establishment, but once mature, it is relatively low-maintenance. Following consistent asparagus plant care guidelines will ensure a productive patch.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your order will arrive as 10 healthy, 2-year-old bare root asparagus crowns, meaning they will be shipped without soil. They should be planted promptly upon arrival.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant bare root asparagus crowns is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus is hardy in USDA Zones 3-8. In colder zones, a layer of mulch can help protect the crowns during winter.
• Q: How long until I can harvest? A: While these are 2-year-old crowns, it’s generally recommended to wait until the third year after planting for your first substantial harvest to allow the root system to fully establish.
• Q: What makes ‘Purple Passion’ different from green asparagus? A: ‘Purple Passion’ is known for its sweeter, nuttier flavor and more tender spears compared to green varieties. It also has a distinctive purple color, especially when eaten fresh.
• Q: Can I grow growing purple asparagus in containers? A: While possible, asparagus thrives when its extensive root system can spread. Large, deep containers would be necessary, but in-ground planting is generally recommended for best results.