[Madame Cholet]

I planted these last week then read that they need to be 4-6" deep so i covered them with 2 barrows of rotted horse manure fingers crossed.

[ptarmigan]

I did something very similar - and they aren't the most productive asparagus crowns in the world - but I think that's my windswept allotment and dodgy windbreaks that were the problem. Not the crown planting! 

[Kristen]

All sorts of ways to do it, no doubt, but I seem to remember the "books" saying to plant shallow-ish and then to earth up as the stems grow in the first year.

I top dress mine each year with a couple of inches of compost ... so they get / stay deeper

Thus I don't think shallow planting, and then adding more soil, will be a problem.

[simonwatson]

The thing they hate more than anything is being waterlogged so planting them in a deep raised bed often works well for them. If your soil drains well then just build a bed in place around them. If not, they've not been in long enough to do much so you can still fix things this weekend.

[jambop]

The best way to do it is to dig a trench about 18 inches wide and 12" deep and put you feed six inches deep in the bottom then a layer of soil about three inches over that with a slight upward curve on it. You then lay your crowns centrally spread over the top of the curve and just cover with soil, as they come through top dress them until you reach the surrounding soil level. Do not take any spears the first year just let the ferns grow and only take one or two per plant the second year and again let the ferns grow. I the years after you should be rewards with some nice spears.

[Madame Cholet]

We will see what happens now 

[jambop]

Well Madame you are right there is always more than one way to do it ! You may well get good results but the method I have outlined is a noted method. They grow loads of asparagus not far from me where the soil is perfect for... it very light and sandy. Unfortunately my soil although productive is heavy ish and having a lot of clay in it sets like concrete in the summer, although I am adding manure every year and it floods quickly during the wet winter months. Hope you get loads of spears but remember don't cut any in the first year and only a few per crown the following year there after you should get a crop every year for about twenty years good luck!

[Madame Cholet]

Thanks I have clay too but it does drain well I'm on top of a hill. I added loads of rotted woodchips to the beds over the winter too. I make sure I don't harvest any till they are well established.