I get what you are trying to do -- I have some feral garlic and parsnips in an opening in the brambles, and one of my asparagus plants is very happily holding a thousand seeds, soo...

I would go ahead and put most of those babies in the ground the first chance you get, so you will have fewer mouths to feed, and maybe hold a few back in a nursery bed so you can fix spacing issues later. If you decide to wait, I have set out container-grown seedlings as late as September and not lost a one. I have some hybrid males, and females from the same stock, call them the Jersey princesses. But I do like the elegantly thin spears from the girls.

If these are going to be treated as a wild bed then I wouldn't think it would take much prep for planting them. I'd get that planting holes prepped and get them planted now for best results. Granted you are going to have to provide water for them until they get somewhat established and can fend on their own. But the sooner into the ground the better IMO.

Dave

Thanks guys, exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I found heaps of info on proper garden beds, but kind of nada about wild growing or overwintering seedlings in pots.

I'll try to get them in the ground soon- watering shouldn't be a problem with all the rain we have been getting, lol.

beesneeds,
I have successfully grown "wild" asparagus from seeds in pots until fall (first hard frost). I cut the tops, remove the roots, cleaning them to remove the soil and I place them in the refrigerator. I plant the crowns the following spring. I have had great success doing this method of seed saving- planting. A few years back I had forgotten 15 roots and they looked pitiful after spending a year and a half in my crisper drawer. I planted them anyway and 12 of the 15 survived !
Good luck.

I need some advice on my own asparagus experiment. I didn't read up on these and stuck some seeds in a garden pretty late in the season. Six of them grew. I didn't do much soil prep and decided they wouldn't survive the first winter so I moved them into a large deep container. Two of them still live in my garden. I plan to plant them in a properly prepared raised bed this spring. My question is should my asparagus ferns be droppy or be able to stand up? Also some browning is happening on the container plants. I had read that you cut back after the whole plant turns brown. Is this what's happening or is that on older plants? I seem to have better plants in the garden now. This might be some transplant shock but overall, the plants are still getting bigger.