Asparagus is a crop that you have to be patient for, but if you love the vegetable, it is well worth the wait. Asparagus is a perennial plant and can produce spears for up to 25 years if tended well.

As it is going to be a permanent part of your garden, it's worth considering creating a separate garden bed for it. It can take up a fair bit of space and will need slightly different management than the regular garden.

Asparagus won't yield much in the first few years you have it. It takes time to mature as a plant. Generally plants are bought from a nursery as two year old crowns. Once planted, it will be another full year before you can harvest anything but here is how it works...

Create a no dig garden as normal, but top with approximately 8 inches of compost rather than the usual 4. Create a furrow 5-6 inches deep and place your crowns 18 inches apart. If you are creating two rows, you will need 5 feet between rows. Cover the crowns with a few inches of compost. When they grow above that, fill in the furrow. Once they are again above that, mulch the bed and you're underway.

It is strongly suggested that you purchase all male varieties. The female plants produce seeds which will over populate your garden. The seeds are also eaten by birds which disperse them widely creating a problem for native habitats.

After the first year in the garden (they are now 3 years old if you purchased two year old crowns) you will be able to harvest for about two weeks before you should stop. That's it for that year. The next year, harvest for four weeks. Then finally in their fifth year, you will harvest for about 8 weeks, which is their normal season. Do not be tempted to over-harvest in the first couple of years as the plants need to develop and mature.

Once mature, the plants will produce asparagus spears 7-10 inches high. To harvest, bend the spear gently from the top. It will snap off naturally about half way down and you will take only the tender part of the spear indoors for cooking.

Judy Williams (http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com) is a committed organic gardener. This site acts as a primer for all vegetable gardening aspects covering topics like how to build a garden, nurture seedlings, container gardening and composting. Sign up for the monthly newletter 'Diggers Rest'.