Overview

Welcome to the world of gourmet gardening with our premium purple passion asparagus bare roots. This offering includes 50 high-quality bare roots of the acclaimed ‘Purple Passion’ variety, scientifically known as Asparagus officinalis. Renowned for its distinctive vibrant purple hue and superior flavor profile, this asparagus variety is a must-have for any home gardener seeking a truly special culinary experience. Unlike traditional green asparagus, ‘Purple Passion’ boasts a sweeter, milder taste and a noticeably less stringy texture, making it a delight whether eaten raw or cooked. These bare roots are ready to be planted in your garden, promising years of delicious harvests from a long-lived perennial vegetable.

Growing purple passion asparagus bare roots is a rewarding endeavor that provides fresh, healthy produce right from your backyard. Asparagus plants are an investment, as they can produce for 15-25 years or even longer under optimal conditions. The ‘Purple Passion’ variety is particularly celebrated for its high yield potential and resistance to common asparagus diseases, ensuring a robust and productive patch. Get ready to enjoy the satisfaction of harvesting your own tender, sweet purple spears each spring.

Key Benefits

Our purple passion asparagus bare roots offer numerous advantages for the enthusiastic gardener and home chef. Investing in these bare roots means you’re planting a legacy of delicious, healthy food for years to come. The unique characteristics of ‘Purple Passion’ make it stand out from other varieties.

• Exceptional Flavor Profile: Enjoy significantly sweeter and milder spears compared to green varieties, with a delicate, nutty flavor that enhances any dish.
• Tender & Less Stringy Texture: The ‘Purple Passion’ variety is known for its remarkably tender spears, making it pleasant to eat both raw in salads and cooked.
• Vibrant Culinary Appeal: The striking purple color adds a beautiful and gourmet touch to your meals, making dishes visually appealing.
• Long-Lived Perennial Production: Once established, these plants can produce abundant harvests for 15-25 years, offering a sustainable source of fresh vegetables.
• High Nutritional Value: Asparagus is packed with vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, folate, iron, copper, calcium, protein, and fiber, contributing to a healthy diet.
• Disease Resistance: This variety is generally robust and offers good resistance to common asparagus ailments, ensuring a healthier crop.
• Easy to Grow from Bare Roots: Planting bare roots is an effective way to establish a strong asparagus patch, leading to quicker establishment and earlier harvests than from seed.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Successfully growing purple passion asparagus bare roots requires attention to detail, but the effort is well worth the delicious rewards. Asparagus thrives in full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Choose a well-draining location, as asparagus does not tolerate soggy feet. Prepare your soil by amending it with plenty of organic matter like compost or aged manure. Asparagus prefers a slightly acidic to neutral pH, ideally between 6.5 and 7.0. Dig trenches about 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide, mounding a ridge of soil in the center. Carefully spread the roots of each bare root over the mound, spacing plants 12-18 inches apart within the trench.

Gradually fill the trench with soil as the spears grow, eventually covering the crowns with 2-3 inches of soil by the end of the first growing season. Water deeply after planting and regularly during dry periods to ensure consistent moisture. The first year is crucial for establishing strong root systems; avoid harvesting any spears. In the second year, you may harvest lightly for 2-3 weeks. By the third year, your purple passion asparagus bare roots will be mature enough for a full harvest season of 6-8 weeks. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer and keep the area weed-free, as weeds compete for nutrients and moisture. Protecting your perennial vegetable from pests and diseases with good cultural practices will ensure a bountiful harvest for many years. Learning to grow purple asparagus successfully ensures a delicious return on your gardening investment.

Size & Details

This offering includes 50 purple passion asparagus bare roots, ready for planting. Each bare root is a dormant crown, carefully selected for vigor and health, representing the first step in establishing a long-term asparagus patch. When mature, ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus plants typically grow to a height of 3-5 feet with a spread of 2-3 feet if allowed to fern out. The spears themselves can be harvested when they are 6-9 inches tall and about ½ inch in diameter. These bare roots are shipped without soil or a pot, making them lightweight and easy to handle for planting. Asparagus is a perennial vegetable, meaning it will return year after year, providing harvests for 15-25 years under proper care. The growth rate is moderate, with full production typically achieved in the third year after planting. For those looking to grow purple asparagus, these bare roots provide an excellent foundation for a productive and delicious garden addition.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big will the purple passion asparagus bare roots grow once mature? A: Once established, mature ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus plants can reach a height of 3-5 feet and spread 2-3 feet when allowed to fern. The spears are harvested when 6-9 inches tall.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Asparagus is an outdoor perennial vegetable that thrives in garden beds, requiring full sun to produce well. It is not suitable for indoor cultivation.
• Q: How much sunlight does asparagus officinalis need? A: Asparagus requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, for optimal growth and spear production.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for, especially for beginners? A: While asparagus requires some initial bed preparation and patience during its establishment years, it is relatively low-maintenance once mature, making it suitable for diligent beginners willing to learn to grow purple asparagus.
• Q: What condition will the purple passion asparagus bare roots arrive in? A: The bare roots will arrive dormant, without soil or a pot, carefully packaged for safe transit and immediate planting upon arrival.
• Q: How long until I can harvest the spears? A: You should not harvest any spears in the first year after planting. A light harvest can begin in the second year for 2-3 weeks, with full production starting in the third year, yielding harvests for 6-8 weeks.
• Q: What’s the best time to plant these bare roots? A: The ideal time to plant purple passion asparagus bare roots is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked, after the danger of hard frost has passed.
• Q: What USDA hardiness zones are suitable for growing this perennial vegetable? A: ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus is generally hardy in USDA Zones 3-8, making it suitable for a wide range of climates.
• Q: Why is ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus considered sweet asparagus? A: ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus contains higher sugar content and lower levels of fibrous lignin compared to green varieties, resulting in a naturally sweeter taste and more tender texture.
• Q: How do these bare roots contribute to a perennial vegetable garden? A: Planting these bare roots establishes a long-term productive crop that returns year after year, reducing the need for annual replanting and providing a sustainable source of fresh produce.