Interested in growing Asparagus

[mrsgreenthumbs]

So I live in a zone 9 (ish) in California's Central coast and I am interested in growing Asparagus. Used to HATE the stuff till I gave it a second try a few months ago and now I LOVE it. Don't know much of anything about the plant besides it takes a long time to grow. Can it be canned? Is it a big producer once it begins producing? If not how much should I plant in order to have a healthy supply? When should it be planted? Can it be planted in a pot? Does it need to be dug up every year like some bulbs? Any other tips or info on this subject would be wonderful.

[731greener101]

I concur with Marlingardner except I dug my bed to a depth of three feet to give the roots plenty of room to stretch.Buy your crowns local so they are acclimatized.Also I used greensand,kelpmeal,and azomite in my beds.My beds are prolific and the spears are very nutty.Can anyone say asparagus omelets?Rod

[rkunsaw]

I put my asparagus in a raised bed 4ft x 40 ft x 14 inches deep.I put about 3 inches of soil/manure/compost mixture and planted the crown on small mounds down the middle of the bed, 18 inches apart.As the asparagus grew I added some of the mixture.After the top die this fall I will finish filling the bed.As a bonus I planted onions all around the edges of the bed.
I must disagree about canning.Asparagus cans very well and is delicious.It does not freeze well.It becomes tough.One way to tell if something freezes or cans well is to look in the grocery.Can you find canned asparagus?(yes)
Can you buy frozen asparagus?(I haven't seen any).
These opinions are based on my experience.
Larry