Yes you can. You don't have to, you can just plant them, but either way works.

Dave

How did you get them to germinate? I can germinate "anything", but I can't get one asparagus seed to germinate, even using the popular 85 degree F treatment.

In my case, after I gave up on them and reused the pots, they all started germinating outside in July. I had to choose them or the collards.

Thanks Dave. I want them deeper to help keep them from coming up quite as early. We often have nice weather in the spring and all of a sudden end up with a freeze leaving me scurrying to protect or harvest.

For starting them, the seeds came from Baker's Creek. I put them in a 24-cell pack left over from pansies one year, put in potting soil, moistened it really, really well and put them on a heat mat, without a dome. Once I saw one germination (it was a little slow) I put them outside where the rest germinated. Mi biggest problem thus far has been the wind has been whipping them around quite a bit, thus I want to get them in the ground and place the milk jug cloches around them. Not to mention I am getting to the point where bringing the seeds in and out of the house each morning and evening is wearing thin.