Asparagus is usually grown in cooler, more temperate climates, yet surprisingly, it can also thrive in warmer climates and even the tropics! Read below for our hands-on, quick-read case study, from our mango farm in Kep Province, Cambodia. Can you grow Asparagus in the Tropics? You sure can!
Weather Conditions on our Farm
Just to let you know what you are up against if you want to grow asparagus in the tropics, here is a brief overview of our yearly weather conditions from our mango farm.
We live 10 degrees north of the equator, in the coastal province of Kep in southern Cambodia. There are only 2 seasons. A hot season and a wet season. There is a slight reprieve during December and January when the weather is a little cooler and not much rain, however, it is still very warm!
During the hot season, February through to June, the temperature ranges between 34 and 40-plus degrees. It is seriously hot! Also, no rain to speak of. And your plants feel it too! If possible it is best to provide them with some shade, and usually, you will need to water them twice a day.
When the rains come it is a welcome relief. Most of the time you don’t need to water, the afternoon drenching’s will usually take care of that. However, it can be very heavy at times and it is best to put all your vegetables in raised beds. This allows the water to drain off more easily!
The Asparagus – Can You Grow Asparagus in the Tropics?
Funny enough, we started off our asparagus in polystyrene boxes when we were living in Phnom Penh. When we moved onto the farm they were already over one year old, and now are currently 2 years old.
When I removed them from the polystyrene box they had very good crowns. Clustered and healthy. I separated them and planted them out into a raised bed. I added some bamboo caging for support, heavily mulched the soil, and that was about it. They took extremely well to their new home, and I as I speak, new spears are popping up daily, however, we are not picking them just yet.
So, in the one year here already on the farm, they have endured all the weather conditions and remain very green, ferny, and healthy with new spears appearing regularly. Furthermore, the soil has been boosted by the addition of charcoal, bird poo and rice skins. So far, there has been no pests to speak of!
Asparagus – Soil Temperature Info
Now, I have researched some other sources to see what other people are saying about growing asparagus in a hot climate. Most people stress, for optimal production, that the soil needs to be at a temperature of around 75 to 85 degrees F in the daytime and around 50 degrees F at night. Our soil here on the farm would be a little warmer than that!
Another source then said that asparagus does not like continuously wet and warm soil. It prefers a cool and frosty season. At this stage, I beg to differ! However, as we have not yet cut back the ferns, we will need to see how the plant reacts when we do. So far, the ferns, acting as solar panels, have been charging the plant for the last 8 months or so.
Asparagus – General Info
- Asparagus plants are slow to mature. They take 3 plus years before you can begin harvesting.
- When harvesting does begin, you are likely to harvest the plant for the next 20 years. It is worth the wait!
- In the summer, the female plants produce red berries that are toxic to humans. These are the actual seeds of the asparagus.
- While you can plant asparagus from seed, as mentioned above they are slow to mature. Instead, why not buy already formed crowns to speed up the process.
- Green asparagus and white asparagus come from the same plant. When the spears protrude the ground the sunlight hits it and then they turn green. On the other hand, white asparagus is harvested when the first tip pierces the earth. It is then cut off from under the ground. Due to being more labor intensive, consequently, white asparagus is more expensive.
- Interestingly enough, coming from the same plant, green asparagus tends to have higher levels of nutrients.
- If you watch closely, especially in warmer weather, you can actually see it grow. They can literally grow 6 inches in one day. Here in Cambodia, they call asparagus “Bamboo of the Western World”, or just simply “Barang Bamboo” (foreigner bamboo), because it grows as fast as bamboo!
In Conclusion – Can You Grow Asparagus in the Tropics?
So, surprisingly, YES, you can grow asparagus in the tropics! Judging from the progress so far from our ferns, hopefully in the next 6 to 12 months, we will be harvesting asparagus. That could be another little case study, to see how the plants react when we cut them back, and also to see how productive they are. However, at this stage, it is looking good!
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