Asparagus is the earliest vegetable harvested fresh from the garden each spring. Prized for its flavor, asparagus is also nutritious. It's an excellent source of vitamin A, and contains significant amounts of vitamin C, riboflavin, phosphorus and calcium. And one cup of cooked fresh asparagus contains only 30 calories.

Asparagus is a perennial plant that comes back from the same root system each year. Because a productive bed of asparagus can last 15 years or longer, choose your location carefully before planting. Consider ease of harvesting as well as the plants' special needs; well-drained, deep soil and plenty of sunlight ... at least 8 hours daily.

Rid the area of quackgrass and other perennial weeds the summer prior to establishing the new bed, as controlling perennial weeds becomes a very difficult chore once asparagus is growing. Work liberal amounts of organic matter into the soil along with approximately one pound of 5-10-5 fertilizer per 100 square feet of garden space.

Buy one-year old roots, if possible. Older, larger ones are more prone to breakage in transplanting. Mary Washington and Martha Washington are popular older asparagus varieties with decent rust (disease) resistance. Other good varieties include Faribo hybrid, Viking KB3, Jersey Giant and Jersey Centennial. You could start asparagus from seed in a nursery bed, then transplant them into trenches their second year.

Dig a trench 8 inches deep and wide enough to accommodate the outspread roots (about 10 inches), then space the asparagus 18 inches apart. Leave four feet between rows. Cover the roots with two inches of soil, and continue to fill in the trench as shoots grow. Be sure never to bury the green shoots completely. The trench can usually be filled by the end of the first growing season, but if not, simply continue to work on it the second year.

Don't cut any spears until the third year after planting. It's important for asparagus to develop a large, healthy root system the first few years. Begin by cutting for only a few weeks in May and early June. Then gradually increase harvest time to six weeks.

Cut spears when they grow about 6 to 8 inches tall; their tips should still be tight. Take only thicker spears; spindly ones should be left alone. Snap asparagus off at the soil line, or use a sharp knife to slice through the spear at an angle an inch or two below the soil surface. Be careful not to damage spears not yet emerged from the soil.

All spears that come up after July 1st must be allowed to mature into ferny growth. It is the tall, green ferns that gather energy during summer to be stored in the roots, ready to ensure another good crop the following spring. Allow the ferns to remain over the winter to catch and hold snow, protecting the below ground portions of the plants. Remove the debris early enough in spring so it isn't in your way when it's time to start cutting asparagus once more, in May.

Each spring before spears appear, work a balanced garden fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 12-12- 12 into the soil at the rate of approximately 1 to 1½ pounds per 100 square feet of garden. You can also add some well-rotted manure or compost.

You may hear of using common salt to kill weeds in asparagus, but cultural methods along with limited, careful use of herbicides is preferred. A build-up of salt in the soil is not desirable; the only reason it doesn't harm the asparagus is that their roots are buried so deeply in the ground.

Control weeds by mulching with 3 or 4 inches of grass clippings or seed-free straw. Pull or hoe annual weeds out when they appear, as they can harbor insect pests, and they compete with the asparagus for moisture and nutrients. If some quackgrass has managed to come up in the asparagus bed, you can spot treat it with glyphosate (sold as Monsanto Roundup or Ortho Kleenup) as long as you are careful not to allow any of the herbicide to contact the asparagus. Obviously, it is far better to eliminate all perennial weeds before ever planting the asparagus roots.

Asparagus is sometimes troubled by aphids or asparagus beetles. It's usually not necessary to spray for the aphid; sometimes blasting the ferns with water from the hose takes care of them. If you have trouble with the beetle causing deformed crooked spears, though, you'll probably want to use the insecticide Sevin to control them.

Set year-old asparagus roots in a trench, then cover with 2" of soil.