How To Grow Asparagus since asparagus is a perennial plant that grows several years in the same location, you should make sure that your raised bed is properly prepared. If it is prepared properly, take the time to prepare the soil before planting, because when it is prepared, the perennial vegetables will grow well. The soil should also be well-prepared and fertilized, as the asparagus plant will be in the same place for twenty years or more.
Once set up, the asparagus crowns can produce up to 25 spears a year and will continue to harvest for 25 years. Remember that all soil-grown asparagus are harvested after over 25 years, but Container asparagus has a much more limited life span and can only be harvested for a short period of time. It takes two to three years to harvest and most other vegetables are produced directly. In order to produce 15-25% of the year in abundance, an asparagus plant must establish itself and take time to ripen properly in order to reap the best harvest.
Patience is one of the most important resources needed to start an asparagus plant, as it can take several years for the crop to produce enough to feed the family.
Moreover, an asparagus plant harvested from seeds will be more resistant to disease than a plant that emanates from the crown during its lifetime. Avoid rot at the roots of the fusarium by planting only diseases – free seeds and crowns – and never plant in a bed that has previously been asparagus grown. Never plant in beds that have previously been grown as asparagus, as it will let the plant rot.
Harvest every two weeks in the third year, every two to three weeks in the following year. In the year after the fourth year, the harvest can be extended by one or two weeks, to be harvested every 8 weeks and to be extended by one or two months every year.
In the third season, the asparagus can be harvested every six weeks, and in the fourth year, the plant can withstand a full harvest of eight weeks. In the second season of the year it is harvested in two to three weeks and in the following year every four to five weeks.
Asparagus plants should be crowned with dormant roots (annuals) in spring, when the earth is still cold. Plant the asparagus plants in a layer of soil about 1.5 to 2 cm deep in the bed prepared in autumn and spring.
Asparagus plants are only available in spring, so if you’re thinking of planting this year, you’ll need to get your orders soon. Crowns can be bought in the spring in nurseries, but you want to plant them immediately after purchase. Asparagus should be planted in April or early May, and remember that the weather in Illinois has endured the last two cold and wet spring months.
The cultivation of asparagus in the raised bed requires a lot of space, so the raised bed must be large enough to cope with the growth of the asparagus. When the asparagus grows, its crowns start to sprout, and most of them grow to 2-3 cm in size.
Asparagus Planting
According to the Old World gardeners, it is important to keep the asparagus bed free of weeds so that its roots can grow. Here’s how to grow, plant and care for your asparagus bed and enjoy it in your house. A number of them, like in a traditional garden, is also acceptable, but remember that the asparagus plant will become quite high after harvesting and can shade the plants that are standing next to it. A 1.50 metre-tall asparagus frond, for example, shadows every plant nearby, even if it is only a few centimeters tall.
Asparagus is a vegetable that, no matter how fresh it may look in the supermarket, will never taste as good as if you have just picked it. It is no surprise that the sweet and lean vegetables in the bed last so long. Asparagus officinalis is one of the perennial vegetables that thrives in every garden and has been grown by gardeners for over 2000 years. If taken care of properly, it will last for years after planting and remains productive for 10-15 years, so it is a great accompaniment to any meal.
Cut the spear with a foot knife and try not to hurt the surface on which it has developed, otherwise you can tear it off at ground level. If you grab it at the top, you’ll rip it in half, so try and hurt it as little as possible.
To harvest, take a sharp knife and cut the spear about 3 cm below the surface and bring it to harvest. To harvest a spear, you can simply cut it close to the ground and apply it with a knife or secateurs.
The butt of the cut spear must be cut off before cooking and the cut spear is edible. Simply use a paring knife and cut out the hard part, while the soft part of the spear remains for enjoyment.
Place compost in the soil and lay a layer of mulch so that the rows match the bottom line. If there is no soil, lay layers of mulch over it to retain soil moisture and prevent weeds.
Preparing the soil for Asparagus
Start preparing the soil by adding 1 / 2 cup water, 2 cups of manure, 1 cup compost and 2 tablespoons of soil fertilizer. Add a layer of mulch, a few centimeters of compost and a little water and grow. Fertilize the bed by garnishing it with rich, weed-free compost or dung and adding 1 tablespoon of fertilizer per 1 inch bed.
When planting asparagus crowns, you need at least 1.5 to 2 inches of soil per 1 inch of the bed. Place the crowned asparagus about 15 cm apart on the ground and dig a trench about 3 cm wide and about 1 / 2 inch deep.
Place the crowns in the trench at least 8 inches, although 12 inches is highly recommended for best performance. During the first season, as the plants grow, the ditches are gradually filled with soil. When the crowns grow out of the ground, add a few centimeters of soil each and fill each trench. If you plant in early spring, crown 2 cm in the soil per 1 cm of soil and gradually fill your trench with the soil while each plant grows.
Store harvested spears in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for at least two weeks. Keep the asparagus of good quality by keeping the spears at 35 – 40 F. Store the spears in the coldest phase of the season up to three weeks.
To store the spears, place the cuts in a shallow pot of water and immediately place in the fridge. To store asparagus, it must first be blanched and then put in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process by draining it and putting it in plastic bags. If you keep the spear, place it about an inch high on a glass bowl or glass to keep it out of the freezer for up to a week.
Two species of asparagus beetles are damaging spears and fronds in North America, and both are recognizable. Look for a hole in the middle where the spear germinates, about 1 / 4 to 1 inch in diameter and about 2 inches in length.
When the first spears appear in spring, tear them off with a firm head of 7 – 10 cm in length and leave a tough stump. When they start to feed on the fronds, they crawl back into the spear and sweep away with the broom.
Zones 4-6 gardeners have access to a wide range of varieties, including hardy, strong and sick varieties, as well as other hybrids bred to improve disease resistance and productivity.
Asparagus Varieties
There are a lot of varieties to choose from, but only to a limited extent are they available to amateur gardeners. Some types of asparagus adapt well to the south and have moderate yields and extra large stems. They can be grown in different climates, although some are only grown in the Southern Hemisphere, which is only possible for amateur gardeners to a limited extent.
Asparagus In Winter
Be careful what you can do to protect your asparagus from the effects of frost and snowfall, especially in the winter months of March and April.
Apply a thick layer of mulch to the bed so that the crowns are not damaged by extreme cold and insulate them from bad winter weather. If you bought your plants long before planting, keep them as far back as possible. When the cold winter and frost sets in, it is best to prune the plants as far as possible. This not only saves water in summer, but also suppresses many weeds, insulates the crowns from the worst winter weather and protects them from frost.
