Asparagus in table tops - any success stories?

I know this comes up in conversation pretty frequently. I've found posts from people that said they were going to try it, or planted asparagus in tubs. I haven't found any posts from people checking back in to see if it worked.

My two choices were to try it in a box on wheels, or not bother to try for a few more years until we decide to buy property again. My garden box is on wheels for two reasons - if this actually works, I'll want to take the asparagus with me when I move. The other reason is that the only place for me to grow food is right at the end of my driveway, right where the plow piles up the snow in the winter!

Hello Martha,

I would like to share my experience with asparagus and containers.  I tried to plant some in an EarthBox, and after 1 1/2 years they became incredibly root bound.  Also, there was minimal growth above ground.

Here's some photos:

This is the tangled mess we dealt with (from eight crowns).  The roots grew through the grill of the EarthBox.  Not only did they have to be untangled from each other, but they also had to be gently teased out of the grill holes.


With my daughter next to them, you can get some perspective of their size.


If you do decide to put asparagus in containers, perhaps don't plant as many as I did (eight in a 1x2 EarthBox).  The age of these roots was about 3 1/2 years or so.  When I planted the 2 year old crowns, they were miniscule compared to their size now (crown tendrils of maybe 4 inches long).  Depending on the age of the asparagus you plant, you can buy some time before they become huge.

After my daughter and I teased the roots free, I planted them in a patch all their own next to some gardenias.

Long time ago I googled asparagus roots.  They have different types of roots, with some growing short, and laterally, and others vertically, necessary for best growth and health.  The different types as I recall serve different functions for the plant.  The vertical ones have been documented to grow several feet deep to something like even 7 feet or so if I remember right.  I put mine in a foot deep bed with no bottom.  Very happy with the results.

I was happy to see that my asparagus is peaking out the top of my SFG (with six inches of MM). This is only my second year tho- and last year it didn't grow very tall or robust (in its first year). This year's spears look fatter than last year's, however. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Not sure about the root system on mine.

sanderson wrote:So, 1 foot deep beds work.  Good to know.  Do you just top off with more compost in the fall?

I've been adding to it in the Fall and some in March just before Spring growth.

I have 3 plants in a very large pots.  However the soil has sunk down about 4 inches.  I noticed you can put compost on top.  Is that much compost okay around the growing plants?  They are now forming seed pods.

sanderson wrote:Sharing from Facebook. Some of you youngsters may not get it.

I was just taking a sip of coffee when I saw this. Thankfully I managed not to spew it all over my monitor, lol!

AtlantaMarie wrote:

sanderson wrote:Sharing from Facebook.  Some of you youngsters may not get it.    

I was just taking a sip of coffee when I saw this.  Thankfully I managed not to spew it all over my monitor, lol!

I head to read it 3 times before I got it.