Asparagus is scientifically known as Asparagus Officinalis, harvested early in the spring, which is a perennial vegetable grown from crowns produced more than ten years every time harvest after planting. You can keep Asparagus crowns for about one month in optimal conditions before planting.

Asparagus crowns are the roots or rhizomes of the plant, which are adequate to reproduce the plant after being harvested. Before rotting or drying out, the crowns are sufficient to plant in fertile soil or mulch bed.

How Long Can You Keep Asparagus Crowns Before Planting?

If you store the asparagus crowns properly in optimal condition, they will stay fresh for approximately a month before planting. If the crowns freeze at a suitable temperature, they will not be affected by bacteria or fungus and will remain healthy for a long time.

However, remember that if you store the crowns for an extended period without sufficient care, they will lose their nutritional value.  So, to maintain them healthy, keep them clean and fresh in a better condition.

Storing at 40° F with an optimum humidity of about (85-90) % is a better way to keep fresh and healthy if you delay a bit to plant. Asparagus can be produced from either crown or seeds, but it is better to plant the grown for a fast and better harvest.

Steps to Keep Vitalize Asparagus Crowns Before Planting

You can keep vitalized and still healthy the asparagus crowns before planting. You have to maintain the proper way of retaining the animate situation of the crowns.

Keep the Crowns at a Cool Place

Placement of the crowns is a significant factor in keeping them viable for long periods. Direct exposure to sunlight will gradually burn the crown, and it will lose moisture.

So, keep the crowns at a cool temperature in the house. Cool temperature maintains the hydration of the crowns and stays away from being dry out.

Retaining the Wetness of The Crowns

If you keep the crowns at the average temperature, they may be lost their wetness, and after some periods, they will dry out. So to retain the moisture of the crowns, spray water vapor once a week.

Sprinkling water vapor can keep the moisture of the crowns and hydrate its cells to keep vitalize for a long time. During this time, some crowns may sprout, which will be more effective and viable to plant.

Sustaining the Optimum Temperature to Preserve

The optimum preserving temperature of the crowns is 38-42 Fahrenheit, at an average of 40° F with an optimum humidity of about (85-90) %.

But precautions need to learn that excessive crown sprinkling accumulates much water, which may spur into rotting.

Keep an Eye on the Attack of Fungus or Virus

The fungal or viral attack is prevalent for the crowns when kept at the average temperature. Microbial fungicide effectively prevents the invasion of fungus, viruses, or other insects.

Provisionally Planting In case of Long Periods of Plant

In case of drying out or becoming infertile in condition, you can plant asparagus crowns provisionally in your backyard garden or tub to keep them active. Proper take care will remain fertile, and at the time of your planting, you can move them to the desired place to plant.

How to Store Asparagus Crowns Over Winter?

Cool temperature is optimum to keep active for the asparagus crowns, but the excessive cold temperature is adverse to sustaining and growing up. During the winter season, asparagus crowns get damaged by cold weather and snowfall.

Excessive snow falling makes the stalks or stems turn brown, and the consequences ultimately die out. To protect the asparagus crowns in the adverse winter climate, you can opt for refrigeration, or it must be adequately winterized.

If any leaves or stalks of the asparagus turn brown (like the Asiatic lily leaves turning yellow) , retrench them carefully. In the latency period over winter, asparagus doesn’t grow up, but if the crowns grow old or damaged, dispose of them.

In the winter weather, you need not water the asparagus crowns because it goes into dormancy in the adverse climate, and the drip of water will accumulate in the stalk and leaves. Moreover, it would be best if you were not watering the asparagus crowns after retrenching the branch or stem.

To protect from cold temperatures and regulate the temperature a bit, you can utilize their straw, better wood chips, and 4 to 6-inch mulching bed, which will be so effective. Clean up the mulch regularly; either the old mulch may be affected by fungi or germs.

During this dormant period of asparagus crowns in the winter, it doesn’t die out, but the crowns may be lost their potential. So, keeping them at the proper temperature will be the ideal way to store asparagus crowns over the winter like onion sets.

Although you can appropriately store Asparagus crowns over winter at the optimum temperature of about 4 degrees Celcius with about 85 to 90 percent humidity, you don’t have headaches from the asparagus crowns if you take care properly over the winter.

FAQs on Asparagus Crown Storage

Q1. How long do asparagus crowns last before planting?

Ans: Asparagus crowns may last about one month if taken care of properly.

Q2. How long can an asparagus crown produce?

Ans: An asparagus crown can produce more than ten years every time harvested after the planting.

Q3. What is the optimum way to store asparagus crowns over winter?

Ans: Keeping away from the snow falling, creating a 4 to 6-inch mulching bed is optimum for it.

Q4. What is the crucial point to keep vitalizing the asparagus crowns till the planting?

Ans: Keeping the optimal temperature of 40° F and (85-90) % of humidity.

Q5. In adverse weather situations, what to do with the asparagus crowns?

Ans: If it is necessitated in case of adverse conditions till the bed mulching, It is better to keep the whole cluster of asparagus crowns in the refrigerator at the optimum temperature.

So, How Long Can You Keep Asparagus Crowns Before Planting?

Asparagus crowns are perennial vegetables produced by their crowns which is the root or rhizome, where the objective is to keep them active and fresh for a long time before planting. In the optimal condition before planting, it can stay about one month, as new and fresh as it is.

Over the winter season, the asparagus crowns go through the dormancy period in the adverse climate of snowfall or excessive cold temperature. It sustains the storing temperature at 40° F with an optimum humidity of about (85-90) % if you want to retain its organic and nutritious qualities.

For asparagus planting, take a look at this article. Also, watch this video: