Remove the pot, separate the crowns, and plant them in at least an 8-10" trench: backfill. You want them deep enough so they don't blow over too easily. If you break the plant off from the crown, don't worry. It'll grow back just fine. In the future, stay away from plants and buy crowns. It's just a gimmick for folks to pay ten times what they need to. I market farm and planted close to 700 this spring. It was a real struggle with all the rain and cold this spring, but the little fellers are waking up and doing great. My greatest fear was rot. Asparagus likes dry feet, and my trenches were swimming pools at times. I space them 14" apart in rows 5-6 feet apart. Purples need to be planted closer: 8". They have nice fat shoots but not many of them. I also like to add lime and sand to my trenches along with some super phosphate. Believe it or not, I really don't like to plant asparagus in good soil. Instead, I like to improve the soil AFTER the gus is in. Aside from super phosphate at planting, I just don't fertilize it much. I don't water either. I don't mulch between plants but definitely between rows. I buy my plants from Nourse and absolutely love them. They still have plants but in limited quantities. I tried fall planting for the first time last year, and it was an utter failure. Asparagus also likes tomatoes because asparagus beetles don't. Sorry to drip on so much, but I kinda like asparagus. Brook

I've heard that it's best to start with 1 yo crowns. The reasons are outlined in the link I found below. Here's an excerpt; "Starting asparagus plantings with one-year-old crowns is still the easiest and most popular method used by Eastern and Midwestern U.S. growers. Research has shown that using one-year-old crowns is more economical and higher yielding than using two- and three-year-old crowns. Two-year-old crowns appear to suffer greater transplant shock. Weak crowns have been shown to yield less than plants established from vigorous crowns. Often, two-year-old crowns are weak crowns grown an additional year to obtain additional size." You know, you'll be surprised at how quickly that time will pass and you'll soon be eating the most wonderful asparagus that you can imagine. Besides....2 yo old crowns cost quite a bit more. So just by a few extra crowns and harvest those after the 1st year. If you have the temporary space to spare, it wouldn't take much. Just do it;) Btw, Henry Fields and Johnny's both carry 2 yo crowns. Here is a link that might be useful: Ohio State University Extension

How well I know the temptations of a clearance Last spring I bought a LOT of lilies (like, oh, 50+ ! IÂm insane) clearanced from my favorite hardware store at like 75% off. Must have been May, awfully late. Most were asiatics, one oriental. They were in blister packs so I could see and eliminate the obviously dried up and over-sprouted. But I couldnÂt feel them. When I came to plant them I realized that some whole packs were probably duds. I gave the OK ones decent spots and they grew and leafed maybe to 6 inches, tops. No flowers to speak of. A few of the stunted midgets tried and I cut the flowers off early in pity, to save their strength, telling them, "Roots, sweetheart, make roots and grow up first". IÂm expecting more from them this year. The possible duds I put in a sheltered holding bed. I saw no above ground growth at all from them. IÂm saying this to warn others who might read my post! If even half survived I still got a great deal. I wish I didnÂt feel sorry for neglected bulbs or plants! The risks of excessive pity (or of being a bargain hunterÂ)

I think I bought bagged asparagus the male kind at Wal-Mart last spring. They sold them early and I saved them in my basement until spring. Also local nurseries usually have them but I think those were Martha Washington not the male ones.