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Zone 7: Average last frost is April 15, first frost October 15 I planted everything in this 4 x 4 bed on March 8 including; - strawberries (6 plants from roots) - horseradish (2 roots, using the mid-section of a small wastebasket as a barrier) - 1 year asparagus roots (48 in a 3 x 4 section of the bed) This video was filmed on July 5. Plants are about 4 months old. Everything started growing within 3 weeks. I continually see new asparagus spears come up regularly. Things I've learned about asparagus (trust but verify): Asparagus is a perennial that will grow back for up to 20 years. Pick a location that is sunny, and that you won't need to use for anything else. Most home gardeners grow asparagus from 1 or 2 year "roots" instead of seed. This will accelerate the time it will take to produce edible plants by a year or two. Roots are available from a variety of sources. I found my locally. EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT ALERT * * You may not be able to harvest any spears the first year even if you use roots * * Roots resemble an octopus and have a "springy" or "elasticity" quality about them. When I planted, I tried to push down on the center and make the "legs" spread out like a starfish. In my bed, the roots are close together, but not touching each other. I buried mine about 4 to 6 inches under ground in loose soil that drains well. I add a 1-inch layer of compost to the bed every now and then. After 4 months, new spears continue to grow but none are much thicker than a pencil. Male plants produce more edible spears and are therefore more desirable. Female plants are designed to produce seeds. They produce fewer edible spears. Numerous sources suggest thinning out the female plants unless your goal is to collect seeds. I plan to let these plants continue to grow until they go dormant (look like they're dead). Then I'll cut the stems down close to the ground and begin looking for spears next April. I've read that asparagus grows best in zones that facilitate a dormancy cycle. (I guess that makes up for avocados and pistachios, and others that won't grow in zone 7)