Waterlogged soils favor development of crown and root rot. Asparagus prefers a soil pH of 6.5-7.5, and will not do well if the pH is less than 6.0. If natural fertilizer is preferred, you can use a combination of well-rotted livestock manure, blood meal, bone meal, and wood ash. For more information on natural sources of plant nutrients, see the following web sites. Cultivars Select the new all-male hybrid asparagus cultivars such as Jersey Giant, Jersey King, Jersey Prince, and Jersey Knight.
Seeds produced on female plants fall to the ground and become a seedling weed problem in the garden.
Female plants also have to expend more energy to produce the seeds, resulting in decreased yields of spears on female plants. To add a bit of color to your asparagus planting, try one of the cultivars such as 'Purple Passion', or 'Sweet Purple'. The purple color does wash away when fully cooked, but the spears are about the size of Jersey Knight. Purple Passion does have both male and female plants so yields will be less than with the all-male hybrids. Many gardeners still have older cultivars such as Mary Washington and Martha Washington in their planting.