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How long do asparagus take to grow


How To Grow Asparagus | Thompson & Morgan

Grow your own asparagus - it's easy!
Image: Dusan Sidar/Shutterstock

Everyone loves asparagus. But its delicious flavour and short season often make this vegetable an expensive luxury. Of course, it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s no need to pay exorbitant store prices when you can grow your own.

And growing asparagus here in the UK is a fairly simple process. What’s more, once established, your asparagus beds will deliver delicious crops for up to 25 years!

Ready to start growing your own? Read our useful guide on how & when to grow asparagus plants from seed.

Can you grow asparagus from seed?

It's easier to plant asparagus crowns rather than growing from seed
Image: Stephanie Frey/Shutterstock

You can grow asparagus from seed - but it’s much easier to plant bare-root crowns straight into the ground. Asparagus crowns are year-old dormant plants. Most varieties of asparagus are available as bare-root crowns.

Best time to plant asparagus

Plant asparagus in spring or autumn
Image: Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Traditionally, gardeners have always planted bare-root asparagus crowns in the spring. But you can also plant them in the autumn when the soil is warmer - this will give your plants a head start on establishing. You can order most varieties of asparagus for planting in spring or autumn - whichever you prefer.

How long does asparagus take to grow?

A single row of 10-12 plants will start to produce a decent crop after two years. You won’t be able to harvest your asparagus for the first two years after planting. But once it’s established, each asparagus crown can produce up to 25 spears per year and will continue cropping for 25 years!

Where to plant asparagus

Choose a sunny, well-drained position
Image: Shutterstock

Asparagus needs a permanent home in your garden. Choose a sheltered, sunny position in fertile, well-drained soil. Don't worry if your soil isn’t perfect - you can dig in plenty of well-rotted manure or garden compost to improve soil structure and fertility.

If you’re gardening in cold, wet soil, adding sharp sand or grit will help improve drainage. Alternatively, you can grow asparagus in a raised bed - see below.

Asparagus likes a pH level of 6.5-7.5, so you might need to add lime to more acidic soils.

Lastly, don’t replant an old asparagus bed with new asparagus crowns - choosing fresh ground will prevent a build up of diseases.

How to prepare an asparagus bed

Mulch asparagus beds in late winter to deter weeds
Image: Mumemories/Shutterstock

Prepare your asparagus bed well in advance - asparagus crowns should be planted as soon as they’re delivered, so it’s well worth doing all the prep work first.

Select the ideal spot for your asparagus and make sure the ground is completely weed free. The shallow roots of asparagus crowns are easily damaged by a hoe, so it's really important to start with a weed-free asparagus bed before you plant.

Improve your soil by digging in one bucket load of organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure, per square metre.

And, if you’re really ahead of yourself, you can also mulch your asparagus bed in late winter with manure or compost to keep the ground moist and deter weeds. Cover the earth with an opaque weed mat over the winter to prevent weeds from germinating.

How to plant asparagus crowns

Plant your crowns as soon as possible after delivery. Because asparagus enjoys really good drainage, it’s best planted in trenches of around 20cm (10") deep by 30cm (12") wide. Fill the bottom of each trench with 7cm (3") of well-rotted manure or garden compost to help feed the plants in future years. Mound the excavated soil on top of the manure to form a ridge down the middle of each trench.

Place each asparagus crown on top of the ridge with their roots draped over the edges. Asparagus plants will need plenty of space in the coming years so lay them out at a distance of 45cm (18") apart. Cover the crowns with 7cm (3") of soil and then firm them into position before watering well and mulching with 5cm (2in) of well-rotted manure or other organic matter.

Watch our expert in-house gardener planting asparagus in this short video

How to grow asparagus in a raised bed?

If you prefer, you can grow asparagus in a raised bed. In a standard raised bed (1.2m or 4ft wide), you’ll want to dig a trench down the centre of the bed. Then follow the instructions for planting asparagus crowns above.

Dig in plenty of well-rotted manure or compost to the soil the winter before planting your asparagus. Add some horticultural grit as well, to help with drainage.

Caring for your asparagus crowns

To get the most from your asparagus plants, you’ll need to give them a little bit of attention. Here are some simple maintenance tasks to keep on top of throughout the year:

How to harvest asparagus

It takes a couple of years for new asparagus plants to be ready for harvest. Here’s your year-by-year guide to harvesting:

Year 1: Resist the temptation to harvest any asparagus spears during their first season. Instead, leave the plants to develop foliage - this will encourage stronger, healthier growth.

Year 2: You can harvest a limited crop of around half the spears in the second year of growth. Cut the spears when they reach around 6” tall. Alternately, leave them until next year when they’re better established.

Year 3: You can now harvest all spears for six weeks from mid-April onwards. Stop cutting at the end of May to avoid weakening the plant and to promote good cropping in the years to come.

Year 4 onwards: From now on, you can fully harvest your asparagus for eight weeks from mid-April each year.

Harvest each spear with a sharp knife when they’re around 15cm (6”) tall. Cut them at about 2cm below ground level. You can buy special asparagus knives to make this job easier but any sharp knife will do. The spears are fast growing, so you’ll need to check your crops every day during the harvest season.

Can you grow asparagus in containers?

This 'all male' variety produces heavier yields than other varieties
Image: Asparagus 'Gijnlim' from Thompson & Morgan

It’s best to grow asparagus in the ground, but if necessary it can be grown in large pots or patio bags (at least 60ltrs) for a limited time. This is handy if you want to grow a crop on the patio or you can't justify giving your asparagus plants a permanent space in the vegetable plot.

But bear in mind, although asparagus grown in the ground will crop for up to 25 years, container asparagus has a much more limited lifespan - it will only crop for 3 or 4 seasons after the 2-year establishment period.

Which asparagus plants to grow?

Choosing the right type of asparagus can be daunting. Here’s a list of the most popular varieties to help you choose which type to grow:

Asparagus VarietyCharacteristics
'Pacific 2000'Fantastic flavour - voted the best variety in commercial grower taste-tests of 2006.
'Burgudine'Produces attractive, purple-tipped spears that can be eaten raw or lightly steamed.
'Pacific Challenger'One of the most disease-resistant varieties - tolerant to Phytophthora and Fusarium.
'Guelph Millenium'Particularly cold tolerant and well suited to UK weather conditions.
'Pacific Purple'Produces stringless purple spears that are more tender and sweet than many green varieties.
'Vittorio'Gives huge, top quality yields and can be 'earthed up' to produce tender white spears.
'Mondeo'Known for its impressive yields and quality, especially early in the season.

Now you know how, where and when to grow asparagus as well as which varieties to choose. With a little effort, you’ll be reaping the benefits of your own asparagus crop for several decades to come.

How Long Does Asparagus Take to Grow?

Growing Asparagus takes a lot of time and therefore a lot of patience. However, once it’s ready to be harvested it can produce several spears of healthy asparagus for years and years to come. The only issue is that many gardeners are unaware of exactly how long asparagus takes to grow from sowing the seeds to harvesting the shoots.
So how long does asparagus take to grow?
After planting, asparagus takes 3 years to grow. That may seem like a lot of work for one crop however, once those initial years of growing are complete, the plant will produce new spears of asparagus every year for over 2 decades!
Although the general consensus is that asparagus takes 3 years to grow until harvest, some factors can influence when your asparagus will be ready.

 

Asparagus Seeds vs. Crowns

You can start your asparagus crop by seed, or by planting crowns. While planting crowns is the more popular way of planting asparagus, starting it by seed is still a valid way to grow asparagus. The only drawback of starting your asparagus crop from seeds is that it takes an extra year for it to grow.
Asparagus crowns feature a group of about a dozen or so long roots that all lead up to a small nub at the stop. After planting these crowns, it will take 3 years until an asparagus crop is ready for harvest.

Asparagus seeds come from a small, bright red berry. Each berry contains about 3 to 4 seeds. After sowing these seeds in your garden, you can expect your asparagus crop to be ready in 4 years time.
As stated before, asparagus are a slow growing plant. This is why many choose to purchase crowns from a nursery as it cuts down the growing time from 4 years to 3 years until harvest. However, I would argue that asparagus seeds are the way to go. This is because seeds provide more “bang for your buck” in the long run.
Crowns are usually sold in small bunches for a few dollars or more, but for the same price or even less, a packet of seeds usually contains 12 to 15 asparagus seeds. While planting crowns significantly cuts down on the time until harvest, keep in mind that once those initial years of growing are done, each plant will be producing asparagus every season for several years to come. Therefore, seeds are the way to go.

After the First Year…

If you are planting your asparagus by seed, the first year of growing is going to be uneventful.
Your asparagus will sprout and will also start developing its root system. At this point, the asparagus plant will have developed the crowns that you commonly see being sold at nurseries and garden stores.

After the Second Year…

At this point, asparagus spears will start to appear out of the ground in early spring. Although it may look like your asparagus are ready to be harvested, and you certainly can do so at this point, it is recommended that you leave them be. This is so that the plant can plant can develop better roots and foliage for a healthier growth next year.
This is also a good time to start applying fertilizer. A good fertilizer for asparagus is 10-10-10 fertilizer. This can be applied in the early spring or in the fall.
Later in the season, your asparagus plants will develop into asparagus ferns. It is recommended that you cut back these ferns around late fall when they begin to turn brown. You may also notice little red berries appearing on the plant.
These are the asparagus berries discussed earlier. Although these berries are poisonous, you harvest the seeds inside of them and save them for next planting season.

After the Third Year…

The third year will be pretty similar to the last year. Asparagus spears will come up from the soil in spring. At this point, you can harvest some of the asparagus but leave at least half of them to continue growing and develop into ferns. Continue fertilizing your asparagus and cut back the ferns once more in the fall.

After the Fourth Year…

Finally, all your hard work and patience will have paid off. Around April in the fourth year of growing, your asparagus will once again shoot up from the ground and you can harvest as many asparagus as you would like. To harvest asparagus, wait until the spears grow to be about six inches tall. Then, harvest the asparagus by cutting the spears just below the soil line.
Keep in mind that asparagus spears are fast growers.
Therefore it is important to check your garden regularly for new spears as they will continuously sprout up during spring.
Around the beginning of June, it is recommended that you stop harvesting the remaining asparagus spears and let them develop into ferns. Harvesting over a long period of time can result in a weakened plant and therefore it will be far less productive in future years. Then in the fall, cut back the asparagus ferns and harvest the seeds from the berries if you’d like.

The Following Years…

Whenever spring rolls around, you can expect a healthy harvest of asparagus from your garden. Just make sure that you don’t over-harvest your asparagus as it will damage the plant and result in it being far less productive the following years. With just a little bit of care and some patience, asparagus will come shooting out of the ground every spring for years and years to come.

Asparagus is an early vegetable. Growing from seed.

Landing and care. Photo — Botanichka

Asparagus (asparagus) is one of the most delicious, healthy and expensive vegetable crops. The first sprouts of asparagus, which are white, green, pinkish green, or purple, are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The color of the sprouts depends on the method of cultivation and the time of collection. Green asparagus grows like a regular vegetable in the garden; sprouts of white asparagus spud so that they do not get light; and purple sprouts become after “sunbathing” - it is not spudded immediately, allowing the tender shoots to soak up the sun. nine0003 Asparagus. © packolkata

Young, tender shoots can be eaten raw or steamed quickly, in water, in the oven or on the grill. Asparagus is one of the earliest vegetables of the new season: harvest of young shoots begins in April-May.

Asparagus, a genus of plants from the asparagus family. In total, up to 100 species of asparagus are known, scattered throughout the world, mainly in a dry climate. Some types of asparagus are herbs, others are semi-shrubs that develop an underground rhizome and above-ground more or less branched stems, in many species they are creeping. The most common species in the world - Medicinal asparagus or Common asparagus or Pharmacy asparagus or Asparagus ( Asparagus officinalis ). The upper parts of asparagus sprouts (about 20 cm) are used worldwide as a delicacy in cooking.

Growing seedlings of asparagus

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

Care of seedlings consists in 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. nine0003

The site selected for asparagus is cleared of weeds in autumn. 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. nine0003

Asparagus seedlings are shortened before planting, 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, vegetable beans. nine0003

As for the technology of growing seedlings, there are two ways.

Asparagus. © Nino Fruits

Direct sowing of asparagus seeds in seedling beds

It is better to start sowing seeds of asparagus in seedling beds in the third decade of May. So, we take the seeds and sow. But keep in mind: dry ones will only sprout in 20–30 days. Are you ready to wait this long? No? Then it is better to pre-soak them. That is, fill with water (30-35 ° C) for 5-6 days and change it daily. To maintain the desired temperature, a container of seeds (say, a small plastic bottle) can be placed near the radiator or in another warm place. nine0003

After this period, asparagus seeds are placed in a damp cloth or paper for 3-7 days - let them germinate. To prevent the fabric or paper from drying out, cover it with a plastic bag. Just soaked seeds sprout on the 10-15th day, and those that have pecked - already on the 7-8th.

While the asparagus seeds germinate, you can prepare your seedling bed. That is, add 10 kg (bucket) of rotted manure or compost and 100 g / m² of complex fertilizer per 1 square meter of land. Dig the soil, loosen and level. The distance between the beds should be from 25–30 to 40 cm. Seeds are sown to a depth of 2 cm and at a distance of 5–7 cm. And after 3–4 weeks, seedlings will need to be thinned out, leaving only the strongest shoots at a distance of 10–15 cm. nine0003

Asparagus seedlings grow slowly and after a month and a half reach only 10-15 cm in height. Therefore, it remains on the seed beds for a long time, one or two seasons. All this time, it needs to be carefully looked after: regularly weed and water, in June, once or twice, feed with nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, urea, 10 g / m²) or slurry diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 6.

As a result, by the end of August the plants will have 2-4 shoots and a small rhizome. It needs to be prepared for winter by feeding in late August - early September with phosphorus and potassium (any autumn fertilizer according to the instructions on the package). And when the aerial part of the asparagus dies off in October, cover the plantings with humus or peat with a layer of about 3 cm. You can cover them with spruce branches or fallen leaves. nine0003 Asparagus. © Shihmei Barger

Planting asparagus seedlings in pots

Potted asparagus seedlings are good because, unlike plants sown immediately in the ground, they allow you to win half a month or a month and get more developed young plants by autumn, which will be better prepared for winter.

The procedures are the same as for planting in seedling beds: soaking, germinating and sowing. Only it is necessary to sow early, in the beginning - the middle of May, and not into the ground, but into pots with a capacity of 100–200 ml or into seedling cassettes. For sowing asparagus, you can use barely hatched seeds with a root of 1-3 mm. Seedlings with a spine of 20–25 mm are also suitable, but in order not to damage it, you will have to plant the seeds especially carefully. nine0003

The soil for pots can be used the same as for cucumber seedlings, or you can prepare "asparagus" soil: mix garden soil, rotted manure, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1. Then only the classic simple care remains: watering, loosening, turning to the light in different directions, gradual hardening.

Seedlings can be planted outdoors in early June.

Caring for asparagus

In the second year after planting asparagus seedlings, mineral fertilizers are applied, then the soil along the rows of plants should be loosened as early as possible, trying not to damage the roots. nine0003

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

In October, dried asparagus shoots should be carefully cut close to the ground, being careful 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. nine0003

In autumn, annual, biennial plantings and fruit-bearing 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 mulching with peat in a layer of 8-10 cm in autumn for better overwintering. In early spring, the mulch is loosened and embedded in the soil as top dressing. This operation is carried out annually. nine0003

In April, the soil laid in swaths 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 swaths at the base during the first years of cultivation should be 40 cm, in subsequent years 50-60 cm.

Asparagus. © Gwendolyn Stansbury

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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 careful, since it is at this time that the foundation of the future harvest 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. nine0003

Diseases and pests of asparagus

Red root rot of asparagus is caused by the fungus Helicobasidium purpureum.

In diseased plants, the root neck and roots die off. The death of the roots leads to the death of the above-ground part of the plant. As the disease spreads, a bald spot forms on the site.
If the infection is not very strong, then the place of accumulation of the infection must be treated with "Fundazol" and isolated with a thick plastic film. In case of severe infection, the plants are destroyed and a new plantation is laid. nine0003

Asparagus leaf beetle appears on plants in the middle of summer. Small yellow and black bugs, their black larvae destroy foliage. For pest control, special insecticides are used - Aktellik, Fitoverm, Fufanon, etc., be sure to follow the instructions.

Asparagus is also damaged by polyphagous pests - the well-known bears, slugs, beetles, wireworms, etc.

The wonderful taste of asparagus and its unpretentiousness make this plant a popular "inhabitant" of many gardens! How do you grow asparagus? nine0003

How to grow asparagus and is it worth the trouble

Asparagus, or asparagus, has been cultivated by people for over 2,500 years. However, not many people know how to grow this plant correctly. Asparagus has its own preferences and secrets of cultivation, and the first harvest can be obtained only in the third year.

If you are willing to be patient and put up with the "whims" of this extremely useful one of the first spring vegetables, we will tell you how to avoid problems when growing it. Although it can be called a vegetable conditionally, because asparagus belongs to perennial herbaceous or shrubby plants. Its scaly shoots that emerge from the ground in spring are eaten. nine0003

Asparagus

There are more than 200 species of plants of the Asparagus family in the world, and only 20 shoots of them can be eaten. Some types of inedible asparagus are grown as ornamental plants, others are used by florists in creating their flower arrangements.

In cooking, medicinal asparagus, or common asparagus, is most often used.

On the shelves of stores in fresh or frozen form, you can find shoots of white, green or purple flowers. If you think that they belong to different types of asparagus, then you are mistaken. This is the same plant, only the methods of growing shoots are different. nine0003

Green asparagus becomes under the influence of the sun (due to the production of chlorophyll). If you cover or dig it, then the shoots become discolored. This is a more labor-intensive process, which is why the price of white asparagus is higher.

Purple shoots are obtained from another variety of asparagus, cultivated in Italy, by allowing them to spend a little time in the sun so that they do not have time to turn green. This is a middle option between white and green asparagus. Purple tint only outside the shoot, inside the flesh is green or white. When heated, it turns green. nine0003

The colorful asparagus also differs in taste. Purple is sweeter than green, while white has a milder taste.

Asparagus varieties

Asparagus is still not often found in Russian garden plots, so it does not have a great variety of varieties. The most commonly found on sale are asparagus seeds early Arzhentelskaya, Maria Washington, Tsarskaya and Delicious . Each variety has its own advantages.

Arzhentelskaya early - produces white shoots of medium size, up to 1 cm thick. The variety is frost-resistant, early ripening, resistant to fungal diseases, but can be damaged by asparagus leaf beetle. Very tasty shoots are suitable for canning and fresh consumption.

Mary Washington is a mid-early variety with fleshy white-pink-violet shoots. With enough light, they turn green-purple. Their yellow flesh has a delicate taste and has a long shelf life. From 1 sq.m you can get up to 3 kg of asparagus. nine0003

Tsarskaja - plants of this mid-early variety grow up to 2 m in height. White shoots up to 2 cm in diameter have a delicate taste. Asparagus Tsarskaya is not afraid of frost and easily tolerates drought, and is practically not susceptible to diseases and pests.

Delicacy is a mid-season variety of asparagus with green shoots, which are eaten when they reach a diameter of 1-1.5 cm. It contains basic microelements and a large amount of ascorbic acid. Suitable for canning and freezing. Asparagus of this variety resists diseases and pests well, but it can be damaged by the asparagus fly. nine0003

How to grow asparagus

Asparagus grows best in well-lit, windless places with deep groundwater, because. does not tolerate waterlogging. The plant loves fertile soils with a pH level of 6-7, sandy loam soil is also suitable for it.

The choice of location should be taken responsibly, because asparagus can grow in one place for 15-20 years. It is better to place it against a wall or along a fence.

Prepare the soil for asparagus since autumn: remove weeds, apply 1.5-2 buckets of compost per 1 sq.m, 70 g of superphosphate and 40 g of potassium sulfate, dig deep. On acidic soils, additionally add 300-500 g of dolomite flour or 200 g of fluffy lime per 1 sq. m. nine0003

In the spring, when the snow melts, harrow the asparagus bed with the simultaneous application of 20 g of ammonium nitrate and 200-300 g of wood ash per sq.m. Plant asparagus before its buds begin to grow.

Place the rows at a distance of 70 cm from each other, dig holes in them 30 cm deep and 40 cm in diameter, fill the bottom of which with humus. At the seedlings, shorten the roots to 3-4 cm, spread them evenly over the mound of humus and sprinkle 5-7 cm on top of the ground. Then water well, and when the water is absorbed, mulch with dry earth. nine0003

Plant no more than three plants per linear meter, as they will grow over time.

Breeding asparagus at home can be done in many ways, depending on the source material and personal preferences. It is propagated by seedlings and seedlings, as well as cuttings or dividing the bush. Each method has its own subtleties.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Growing asparagus in a seedless way is not particularly welcomed by gardeners, because. seeds in open ground germinate poorly. But the situation can be corrected if you approach the sowing correctly. nine0003

It is known that the germination of asparagus seeds is directly related to temperature: the higher it is, the more sprouts appear. Suitable weather conditions for sowing in open ground will come only in summer. In order not to lose time, the seeds should be germinated.

To do this, soak them in warm water (30-35°C) for 5-6 days and put them in a warm place. Change water daily. After that, continue to germinate them in a damp cloth or filter paper until sprouts (1-2 mm) appear.

Simply soaked asparagus seeds sprout two weeks after planting, and sprouted seeds a week later.

While the seeds germinate, prepare a seed bed for them in a sunny location. To do this, add a bucket of rotted manure or compost and 100 g of complex mineral fertilizer to 1 sq.m of soil. Dig the soil carefully, loosen and level.

It is necessary to start sowing seeds on a seedling bed not earlier than the third decade of May. Place them a few cm deep and 5-7 cm apart. Due to the threat of frost, the first 10 days of the beds should be covered for the night with agrospan or lutrasil stretched over arcs. After a month, when the seedlings grow a little, thin them out, leaving the strongest ones. nine0003

Young asparagus will remain in the seedling bed until next spring. Caring for it consists in timely watering, weeding and loosening the soil. In June, seedlings should be fed with nitrogen fertilizers (10 g per 1 sq.m of ammonium nitrate or urea) or mullein infusion (1 liter per bucket of water).

Before the onset of cold weather, young shoots must be cut at a level of 10 cm above the ground and sprinkled with a layer of humus or peat a few cm thick, topped with spruce branches or leaf litter. nine0003

Seedling method for growing asparagus

Growing asparagus in seedlings allows you to get earlier young plants that will better get stronger before the coming winter.

The principle of sowing is the same as in open ground: soaking, germination and, in fact, the sowing itself. However, it is possible to sow seeds in pots, peat cups with a volume of 100-200 ml or seedling cassettes much earlier - in mid-April.

Cucumber soil is suitable as a soil, or you can prepare the substrate yourself from garden soil, peat, rotted manure and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1. nine0003

Plant sprouted asparagus seeds to a depth of 1.5-2 cm and after 8-10 days you will see the first sprouts. Caring for them, as well as for ordinary seedlings: timely watering, loosening, turning different sides to the sun and hardening.

Transplant seedlings outdoors in mid-June.

Vegetative propagation of asparagus

Asparagus can be propagated vegetatively by dividing the bush or cuttings. The simplest first method, the reproduction of which can be carried out during the entire vegetative period. However, it is better to divide the bush during transplantation, which in adult asparagus is done every 10 years. Young plants are transplanted from seedling beds to a permanent place in a year. nine0003

Divide an overgrown asparagus bush into several parts so that each has at least one shoot. Plant them at a depth of 10 cm at a distance of half a meter from each other.

Do not keep dug out rhizomes in the air for a long time, but transplant immediately: this will increase the survival rate and allow you to get young plants with good immunity.

Asparagus is propagated by cuttings from March to June. To do this, cuttings are cut from last year's shoots of an adult bush and planted in moistened sand, covering the top with a cap from half a PET bottle. nine0003

Spray and air them regularly. The cuttings will take root in 1-1.5 months, and then they will need to dive into pots that are suitable for them in size.

Asparagus care

Asparagus has a powerful root system, the plant is quite unpretentious and frost-resistant (can withstand temperatures down to –30°C). However, it is afraid of spring frosts: it can freeze even at -5 ° С. After winter, the plant starts to grow when the soil warms up to 10 ° C. By mid-summer, the asparagus bush can reach a height of 1.5 m and bear fruit - small red-brown berries. nine0003

General plant care: watering, loosening the soil around the crop and between rows, weeding and fertilizing. It also needs protection from diseases and pests.

Watering

Water your asparagus frequently and generously for the first few weeks after planting, then reduce watering. But in dry weather, make sure that the soil is always wet, otherwise the shoots will be fibrous and start to taste bitter.

After watering, carefully loosen the soil around the plant to a depth of no more than 6-8 cm to avoid damaging the roots. nine0003

Top dressing

The yield of asparagus is directly dependent on top dressing, so it needs to be fertilized throughout its life.

When planting in the soil in spring, apply 1 bucket of compost or humus per 1 sq.m. Then, after a month, pour mullein infusion (1 liter per bucket of water), and after harvesting, feed with superphosphate and potassium salt (30 g of each fertilizer per 1 sq. m). This will stop the shoots from growing.

By the middle of summer, when the asparagus begins to grow again, feed it with an infusion of bird droppings (1 liter per 20 liters of water). nine0003

And at the end of October (before the first frosts), feed the asparagus for the last time with a special complex fertilizer.

Diseases and pests of asparagus

Asparagus is fairly resistant to diseases and pests. But there are several fungal infections and insects that can cause significant harm to her.

If the soil moisture is too high, the plant may be affected by root rot, or Fusarium. Shedding of branches is the first sign of this disease. You can fight it with the help of Sporobacterin, watering the bush under the root with a solution (20 g of the drug per bucket of water). If necessary, the treatment should be repeated after 10 days. nine0003

Pests such as asparagus fly and asparagus leaf beetle also affect the plant. The larvae of the first gnaw holes in the shoots, because of which their growth stops, and the larvae of the second destroy the foliage, which leads to the death of the culture.

Insecticides such as Fitoverm and Fufanon-Nova are effective against the asparagus leaf beetle, but the asparagus fly can only be controlled mechanically. In the spring, before and during the summer, the flies need to be cut and burned on asparagus all shoots, and in the fall, even healthy stems should be removed, because. insect pupae can hibernate in them. nine0003

Benefits of asparagus

Asparagus was called "Food of the Gods" and "King of Vegetables" by the Egyptian queen Nefertiti and the French monarch Louis XIV, for whom it was grown all year round in greenhouses. And this is no coincidence, because the first spring vegetable contains many substances that are beneficial to human health.

Asparagus is rich in vitamins (K, A, C, E, PP, group B) and minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, selenium, etc.). Asparagus is also high in dietary fiber and folic acid. The use of young shoots of asparagus improves immunity, helps fight pathogens of infections and diseases, and improves eyesight.

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