10 Viking KB3 Asparagus Bare Roots – Hardy Heirloom Asparagus officinalis – USDA Zones 3-9

Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with these 10 Viking KB3 Asparagus bare roots. This offering provides a foundational quantity of a highly regarded, open-pollinated (heirloom) asparagus variety, Asparagus officinalis. The Viking KB3 is celebrated for its exceptional hardiness and its ability to produce heavy yields of thick, succulent, and wonderfully flavorful green spears. A true gem for any edible garden, this variety is an improved selection tracing its lineage back to the classic ‘Mary Washington’, developed with resilience in mind in Ontario, Canada. It’s particularly well-suited for gardeners in colder climates (USDA Zones 3-9) and demonstrates impressive adaptability, performing admirably even in hot, dry regions. Growing your own heirloom asparagus ensures a fresh, perennial harvest for years to come, providing both culinary delight and garden beauty.

These Viking KB3 asparagus bare roots are a fantastic choice for both novice and experienced gardeners looking to establish a long-term asparagus patch. Their robust nature means lower winterkill compared to many other varieties, promising a more consistent and abundant harvest season after season. Investing in these bare roots means planting a legacy, as an asparagus bed can remain productive for 15-20 years or more with proper care. Get ready to enjoy the unparalleled taste of home-grown asparagus officinalis, a true gourmet vegetable that elevates any meal.

Key Benefits

The Viking KB3 asparagus bare roots offer numerous advantages for the home gardener, making them an excellent addition to your vegetable patch:

• High Yields & Quality Spears: Known for producing heavy yields of thick, tender, and flavorful green spears, ensuring a bountiful harvest for your culinary creations. The quality of these spears is consistently high, offering a premium garden-to-table experience.
• Exceptional Hardiness: This variety is incredibly hardy, making it a reliable choice for a wide range of climates. It exhibits lower winterkill rates than many other asparagus types, providing peace of mind and consistent growth.
• Adaptable to Various Climates: While particularly well-suited for colder climates (USDA Zones 3-9), the Viking KB3 also performs robustly in hot and dry areas, showcasing its versatility and resilience in diverse growing conditions.
• Heirloom & Open-Pollinated: As an open-pollinated heirloom variety, you can save seeds from your most successful plants to continue growing this exceptional strain for generations, preserving its unique characteristics.
• Improved Selection: Developed from the classic ‘Mary Washington’ variety, the Viking KB3 benefits from enhanced traits, offering superior performance and gardener satisfaction.
• Perennial Harvest: Once established, an asparagus bed can produce delicious spears for 15-20 years or more, providing a long-term, sustainable source of fresh vegetables with minimal annual effort.
• Nutrient-Rich Vegetable: Asparagus is a highly nutritious vegetable, packed with vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, as well as folate, iron, and potassium, contributing to a healthy diet.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

To successfully grow asparagus from your Viking KB3 asparagus bare roots, proper site selection and consistent care are crucial. Asparagus thrives in full sun, meaning it requires at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Choose a permanent location for your asparagus bed, as it will remain productive for many years. Prepare the soil thoroughly by incorporating plenty of organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure, to ensure good drainage and fertility. Asparagus prefers a well-draining, slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 6.5-7.0).

Plant your Viking KB3 asparagus bare roots in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Dig trenches that are 6-8 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Create a small mound of soil at the bottom of the trench and spread the roots of each crown over the mound. Space the crowns 12-18 inches apart within the trench, and space rows 3-5 feet apart. Cover the crowns with about 2-3 inches of soil initially. As the spears grow, gradually fill the trench with more soil until it is level with the ground. Keep the bed free of weeds, as asparagus does not compete well. Water regularly, especially during dry spells, to ensure consistent moisture, but avoid waterlogging. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer in early spring after the first year of planting. The USDA Zones for this variety are 3-9, indicating its wide adaptability to cold and hot climates.

During the first year after planting, resist the urge to harvest any spears. Allow all spears to grow into ferns, which will help establish a robust root system. In the second year, you can harvest lightly for 2-3 weeks. By the third year, you can enjoy a full harvest season, typically lasting 6-8 weeks. After the harvest period, allow the ferns to grow to replenish the plant’s energy for the following season. Cut back the yellowed ferns in late fall or early winter. With these steps, your hardy asparagus plants will provide delicious harvests for decades.

Size & Details

This product includes 10 Viking KB3 Asparagus bare roots, ready for planting. Each bare root crown is a dormant plant, carefully harvested to ensure optimal health and vigor for transplanting. Upon arrival, the bare roots will appear as a cluster of roots with a central bud or ‘crown’. When planted, these crowns will develop into mature asparagus plants, producing edible spears. Asparagus plants typically grow to a height of 3-5 feet with a spread of 1-2 feet once the ferns are fully developed. The spears themselves can be harvested when they are 6-10 inches tall and about finger-thick.

The Viking KB3 variety is known for its robust growth habit and ability to establish quickly, given proper care. As a perennial vegetable, these heirloom asparagus plants will develop an extensive root system over the first few years, which is essential for long-term productivity. Expect your first light harvest in the second year after planting, with full production commencing in the third year. These bare roots are shipped without a pot, allowing for direct planting into your prepared garden bed for the best establishment.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: Once established, the ferns of the Viking KB3 asparagus can grow 3-5 feet tall with a spread of 1-2 feet. The edible spears are harvested when they are 6-10 inches tall.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Asparagus is an outdoor perennial plant. The 10 Viking KB3 Asparagus bare roots are meant to be planted directly into a garden bed to establish a long-term outdoor patch.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: Asparagus officinalis requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily, to produce the best yields and maintain plant health.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Asparagus requires initial bed preparation and patience during the establishment phase (first 1-2 years). Once established, it is relatively low-maintenance, making it a good choice for gardeners of varying experience levels who want to grow asparagus.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: The product consists of Viking KB3 asparagus bare roots, which are dormant plant crowns shipped without soil or a pot, ready for immediate planting upon arrival.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The ideal time to plant hardy asparagus plants from bare roots is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked and the danger of hard frost has passed.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Yes, the Viking KB3 is exceptionally hardy and suitable for USDA Zones 3-9, meaning it is well-equipped to survive cold winters in a broad range of climates.
• Q: How long until it produces spears? A: You should not harvest any spears in the first year to allow the plants to establish. A light harvest can begin in the second year, with a full harvest expected in the third year and for many years thereafter from your heirloom asparagus bed.