Asparagus from seed

Hey guys,

Hoping someone can answer this as google is failing me!  Can asparagus started from seed be kept in containers for their first year until I have an area in my garden ready for them this time next year?  If so, what size of container would be suitable?  I’m going to assume the small 9cm type ones will be way too small - I have a load of 2 litre and 5 litre pots though, would either of those be suitable?  

Thanks in advance

Having just transplanted 100 1 year old asparagus that I grew from seed I can say that their roots were anywhere from 30cm up to 50cm round depending on how big the plant had gotten, but they are very shallow. so any pot that's 20cm plus in Ø would be fine and it doesn't need to be very deep. I put mine into a bed in the garden that was clear and have moved them this year to their permanent sieved home.

I think I used pots that were 6 inches in diameter. My plants were fine with that.

Thank you both.  

I overwintered several Mary Washington seedlings in one of those large under-the-bed totes with drainage holes drilled in the bottom.  Will plant them out in a few weeks.

I started my asparagus seeds in 2018 in one liter waste tetrapaks, and transplanted them out in spring 2019. Some of the tetrapaks had more than one plant in them, but it was possible to gently separate them when planting out. I'm sure they'd have been better if they'd had more space, but these were fine, and I am currently harvesting from them.

I sowed 12 seeds in a plastic takeaway food tray, which is how I start most of my seeds like this (tomatoes, peppers etc.). Amazingly all 12 germinated and they grew in that little tray for about six months until they were big enough, then I planted them out into a prepared bed. That was 3 years ago. about 8 of the plants have survived, 5 of which are big enough to harvest from this year!  You might want to start more than 12 seeds...


Taken a week ago. The new spears coming up

Speaking of seeds when I bought mine I bought the smallest amount I could which was 25g around 1000 seeds, since I only need 200 myself I have roughly 800 seeds from 2020 that I am willing to send to anyone in Europe who can use them (UK under your own risk) they are Conovars colossal.

Like others above, I've also had good results even when leaving asparagus in a pot much longer than I thought was sensible.

You can see I used simple little drinking cups.  Those are the medium sized ones, not tiny, but not big. Maybe 5 inches tall?  I'm in the desert SW, and the pots dried out every day.  I started them in January and I didn't plant them until October 4th.  Though this isn't a full year, surviving the summer in a pot here is more significant than surviving the winter.  Those little asparagus plants survived many weeks above 100, temps up to 117F, and drying out completely everyday, multiple times.  They are TOUGH. The root mass on these guys pleasantly surprised me.