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To store asparagus crowns, you need to keep them cool, dark, and slightly moist until you’re ready to plant them.
If you’ve just received a shipment of asparagus crowns in the mail or dug up your own, you might be wondering about the best way to store asparagus crowns so they stay alive and healthy.
Asparagus crowns are dormant roots, and how you store them directly affects how well they’ll grow once planted.
In this post, we’ll walk through exactly how to store asparagus crowns, whether you’re keeping them for a few days or a few weeks.
Let’s dig in.
How to Store Asparagus Crowns Short-Term
If you only need to store asparagus crowns for a short time, a few simple steps will keep them in great shape.
1. Keep Them Moist but Not Soaking
Asparagus crowns should never dry out completely, but they shouldn’t sit in water either.
The goal when you store asparagus crowns is to maintain a slightly damp environment.
Wrap the crowns in a damp paper towel or burlap, then place them in a plastic bag with a few holes for airflow.
This keeps humidity high without drowning the roots.
2. Store in a Cool, Dark Place
Asparagus crowns stay dormant in cool temperatures, so storing them at around 35–40°F (2–4°C) is ideal.
Your refrigerator’s crisper drawer is a perfect spot to store asparagus crowns for a week or two.
Just make sure they’re away from fruits like apples or bananas that release ethylene gas, which can trigger premature sprouting.
3. Avoid Temperature Fluctuations
When you store asparagus crowns, consistency matters more than you’d think.
Moving them in and out of the fridge causes condensation, which invites mold and rot.
Find a stable spot and leave your asparagus crowns there until planting day.
How to Store Asparagus Crowns Long-Term
If you need to store asparagus crowns for more than a couple of weeks, you’ll need a slightly different approach.
1. Heel Them Into Soil
The best way to store asparagus crowns long-term is to heel them into a trench or raised bed.
Simply dig a shallow trench and pack the crowns in with loose soil or sawdust.
This keeps the roots alive and lets them acclimate to outdoor conditions.
When you store asparagus crowns this way, they can survive for months until you’re ready to plant them permanently.
2. Use Damp Sand or Peat Moss
If you can’t heel them into the ground, moist sand or peat moss works well too.
Layer the asparagus crowns in a container filled with damp (not wet) sand.
Store the container in a cool basement or garage where temperatures stay between 35 and 45°F.
Check the crowns every few weeks to ensure they aren’t drying out or developing mold.
3. Keep Them Away from Rodents
Rodents love snacking on stored asparagus crowns.
If you store asparagus crowns in a garage or shed, use sealed containers or wire mesh to keep mice and rats out.
A little prevention goes a long way when you want your asparagus crowns to survive the winter.
Common Mistakes When You Store Asparagus Crowns
Even with good intentions, some mistakes can ruin your asparagus crowns before planting season arrives.
1. Letting Them Dry Out
Dry asparagus crowns turn brittle and lifeless.
If you store asparagus crowns in a dry environment without any moisture, they’ll die within days.
Always keep that damp towel or sand layer in place.
2. Storing Them in Warm Conditions
Warmth wakes asparagus crowns from dormancy too early.
If the temperature rises above 50°F while you store asparagus crowns, they’ll start sprouting shoots that have nowhere to grow.
That wasted energy weakens the crown and reduces your harvest later.
3. Overwatering or Soaking
Soggy crowns rot fast.
When you store asparagus crowns, damp is good but soaked is deadly.
Wring out paper towels and use sand that’s barely moist to the touch.
So, How Do You Store Asparagus Crowns?
You store asparagus crowns by keeping them cool, dark, and slightly moist until planting time.
Whether you’re storing asparagus crowns for a few days in the fridge or heeled into soil for the winter, the goal is the same: keep them dormant and alive.
Follow these steps, avoid the common mistakes, and your asparagus crowns will be ready to grow strong spears when the time comes.
Happy planting!