How to plant and grow asparagus at Home

Asparagus is a green perennial plant grown as a vegetable. It has tender shoots and is used in cooking to prepare various dishes. Asparagus has a high nutritional value and many health benefits. Growing asparagus can be done by sowing seeds in the ground or growing seedlings. Proper plant care includes regular watering, weed removal, and top dressing. After several years of growth, asparagus can produce crops for an extended period.

How to plant asparagus seeds outdoors

Seedlings of asparagus are grown from seeds, sowing them in open ground or seedling pots.

Seedling care consists of timely watering, loosening the soil and removing weeds. With good care, healthy plants are formed by autumn, with a powerful rhizome and 3-5 shoots 25-40 cm high. Before the onset of frost, in October, the above-ground shoots of asparagus are cut 10 cm above the soil surface. In this form, plants overwinter.

In the spring, seedlings are dug up and transplanted to a permanent place. When choosing a site, it is necessary to take into account that this is a perennial plant. It is best to place the asparagus near a wall or along a fence.

The site selected for asparagus is cleared of weeds in the fall. 15-20 kg / m² of organic fertilizer is evenly scattered on the soil surface and dug deep. In the spring, seedlings are planted in rows on the site. Rows of asparagus are placed at a distance of 70 cm from each other. Holes are dug in rows with a depth of 30 and a diameter of 40 cm.

Humus is poured into the bottom of the hole, on which seedlings are planted. The height of the mound should reach the edges of the hole. If the soil was well seasoned with organic fertilizer in the fall, then you can not pour humus into the holes (although it will not hurt), but replace it with loose soil.

At seedlings of asparagus, before planting, the roots are shortened, leaving them 3-4 cm long. The roots are evenly distributed over the mound, sprinkled with a layer of earth 5-7 cm thick, compacted and watered. When the water is absorbed, the hole is mulched with earth.

Over the summer, you can do one or two fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizer (25 g / m²). In autumn, the aisles are dug up, and the dried stems are cut 10 cm above the soil level. In the second year of the plant’s life, care for it is the same as in the first.

During the first two years of row spacing, asparagus can be sown with crops such as radishes, watercress, lettuce, and vegetable beans.

Step by step guide to growing asparagus

1. Soak asparagus seeds in warm water overnight before planting. You can immediately plant in the ground or grow seedlings for a year and only then plant them in a garden bed.
2. If you are growing seedlings, plant the seeds in a light fertile substrate to a depth of 3-4 cm at a temperature of 20-23 ° C. The first shoots will appear in about a month.
3. Transplanting into open ground: at the end of May-June, transplant the mature asparagus seedlings into open ground in a garden bed.
4. In the first and second year, let the asparagus grow quietly. Clear the bed of weeds and cut off wilted stems at the base in the fall. In the third year, you can enjoy your own asparagus. A garden bed with asparagus, with proper care, can produce a crop for 15-20 years.
5. For the winter, cover the bed with a layer of peat or sawdust 5 cm thick to protect the plants from frost.

How to grow asparagus at home

In cups or seedling boxes, you can sow asparagus from the end of winter. Provide adequate lighting, as insufficient light can cause tender seedlings to stretch and weaken.

Before planting, the seeds should be soaked for a day in warm water. Then you need to plant them in a light fertile substrate to a depth of 3-4 cm at a temperature of 20-23 ° C.

Growing asparagus in a container

Growing asparagus in containers is beneficial as a space-saving method and will negatively impact the plant’s lifespan. When growing asparagus in a planter, gardeners can only expect 2-4 seasons of actual asparagus harvest after the establishment period has ended.

Pick a container in early spring. For each crown, choose a large container at least 18 inches (46 cm) deep and 12 inches (30 cm) wide. Planting in larger containers is essential, as asparagus crowns need to be planted deep.

Create drainage holes in the bottom of the pot if there are none. While most planters already have drainage holes, many growers choose to add extra drainage to their pots. This will help prevent fungus growth as well as root rot.

Fill the bottom two inches (5 cm) of the pot with gravel. Then fill the remainder with a mixture of high quality soil mix and compost.

Plant the asparagus crown in the container following the directions on the package, most often planting the crown about 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) deep. Well with water. Place outdoors in a sunny location that receives at least 8 hours of sunlight each day.

After planting, shoots should appear within a week. Let the plants grow and become established during the first two seasons. Mulching around plants will ensure there is no competition from weeds and sufficient soil moisture.

Because these perennials are hardy, leave the containers outdoors throughout the fall and winter. Dormant plants will resume growth in the spring when the weather starts to warm up.

Asparagus Care

In the second year after planting asparagus seedlings, mineral fertilizers are applied, then the soil along the rows of plants should be loosened as soon as possible, trying not to damage the roots.

In dry weather, make sure that the soil under the plants remains moist. In dry soil, asparagus shoots become fibrous and take on a bitter taste.

In October, drying shoots of asparagus should be carefully cut off near the ground, trying not to damage the rhizome, and burned. In plants that are not affected by rust and asparagus fly, the tops can not be cut, it will protect the roots from freezing in winter. Seedlings of asparagus in a nursery in severe frosts in the absence of snow or a small snow cover should be covered with leaves, straw or manure.

In autumn, annual, biennial plantings and fruiting plants should be fed with superphosphate (0.3-0.5 kg per 10 m²) and 40% potassium salt (0.25-0.35 kg). After fertilization, the soil between the rows is deeply loosened. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the roots and seedlings of asparagus.

Good results are obtained by autumn mulching with peat with a layer of 8-10 cm for better wintering. In early spring, the mulch is loosened and embedded in the soil as top dressing. This operation is carried out annually.

In April, the soil, poured in the form of rolls on rows of fruit-bearing asparagus, should be carefully leveled and lightly tamped. In this way, it will not be difficult to detect cracks in the soil above the asparagus seedlings (the appearance of cracks indicates that the seedlings can be cut). The width of the rolls at the base in the first years of cultivation should be 40 cm, in the subsequent years – 50-60 cm.

Harvesting asparagus

In the third year after planting, if the plants are strong and bushy enough, they start harvesting. If the plants are weak, harvesting is postponed to the next year and the asparagus is cared for in the same way as in the second year of cultivation.

Harvesting of asparagus shoots starts from the 3rd year. However, before harvesting, in early spring, the aisles are deeply loosened, and the plants are highly spudded with soil and humus. In the II-III decade of April, shoots appear above the soil. When they reach technical maturity (5-7 cm in height and 0.7-1.0 cm in diameter), the soil is carefully raked and the asparagus shoots are cut off at the soil surface, then they are again spudded.

Shoots are cut as they form every 3 days for 20-25 days. In the 3rd year of life, up to 5 shoots are removed from one plant. In subsequent years, up to 15 shoots can be harvested within 30-40 days. After harvesting, each plant should have at least 3-5 shoots, which, developing, form powerful stems with branches of the 2nd-5th order, covered with cladodes, thanks to which the plants accumulate plastic substances.

For the fourth year and beyond, care for asparagus is the same as for the third year.

Care of asparagus plants in the post-harvest period should be especially thorough, since it is at this time that the foundation for the future crop is laid. It is recommended to scatter humus, wood ash or fertilizer mixture between the rows, plant them 5-7 cm into the soil, then water them. The soil must be loosened after each watering or rain. In winter, asparagus can be harvested by forcing. For a family of three, it is enough to have 15-20 asparagus bushes in the garden.