Jersey Giant Asparagus Crowns – 2-Year-Old, All-Male Hybrid

Jersey Giant is one of the most productive asparagus varieties available — an all-male hybrid that channels all its energy into spear production rather than seed-making. Twice the yield of old-fashioned varieties, with excellent disease resistance and the largest, most succulent spears of the Jersey series. Hardy and widely adaptable, including cold climates.

Variety Highlights

• All-male hybrid (NJ56 x JN22-8) — maximum yield, no volunteer seedlings
• Large, 7–9 inch green spears with attractive purple bracts
• Resists fusarium wilt, crown rot, and rust
• Twice the yield of traditional open-pollinated varieties
• Most winter-hardy of all Jersey hybrids
• Grows well in temperate and cool climates; excels throughout the Midwest

Planting Instructions

1. Amend soil the fall before planting with 20 lbs of 10-20-10 fertilizer or mature compost per 1,000 sq ft, worked in 6 inches deep.
2. Choose a full-sun site with well-drained soil. Sandy loam is ideal; heavy clay loam also works.
3. In early spring (after last frost), dig trenches 5 inches deep and 6–8 inches apart.
4. Add 2 lbs of 0-20-0 superphosphate per 50-foot row; cover with 1 inch of soil.
5. Soak crowns in lukewarm water for a few minutes before planting.
6. Place crowns 18 inches apart, buds pointing up; drape roots over trench sides.
7. Fill with 3 parts topsoil and 1 part compost. Do not compact.
8. Water thoroughly. Watch for emergence within a week.
9. Do not harvest in Year 1 — let crowns establish fully.
10. Mulch 4–8 inches after spears emerge to control weeds.
11. Side-dress with mulch each fall; cut back dead fern growth in early spring.
12. Begin harvesting 7–9 inch spears by snapping at the base from Year 2–3 onward.

Key Facts

• Crown Age: 2 years
• Yield: 8–10 lbs per 100 sq ft; 24–30 lbs per 100 ft of row
• Harvest trigger: 50°F soil temperature
• Lifespan: 15–25 years with proper care
• Prefers: Well-worked, organic-rich soils