Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

Can I Grow Asparagus in Central Florida?

“I’m looking for asparagus that will grow in USDA Hardiness Zone 10b.” Question from Lori of Venice, Florida

Answer: Asparagus generally survives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8 and requires a winter dormancy period to successfully grow and produce spears.  In northern regions, plants can produce for up to 30 years, but they don’t tend to fare well down south where winters are warmer.

With that said, some varieties will produce spears in Central Florida, but they generally stay productive for just three to five years. One of the best of these varieties is the California-bred ‘UC-157’. (Click here for a good source.) This is the asparagus that you want to grow in your part of the world. To get special planting instructions for Central-Florida gardeners, visit the University of Florida’s page on the subject (click here to view).

Happy asparagus growing!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

About JESSIE KEITH

Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.

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