Asparagus is an easily grown long lived perennial, given proper care – asparagus plants can be productive for over a decade. But .. It takes at least two years and sometimes up to three years to establish an asparagus patch.
Planting Asparagus
Plant asparagus in early spring, after the soil has warmed up to about 50 degrees F. There is no advantage to planting the crowns earlier in cold, wet soils. They will not grow until the soil warms and there is danger of the plants being more susceptible to disease if crowns are exposed to cold, wet soils over a prolonged period.
Plant the asparagus where it will not shade the other vegetables and will not be injured when the rest of the garden is tilled.
You can start asparagus from seed, but germination is slow (four weeks or more), and weeds are difficult to control in young seedlings. Plants grown from seed indoors can be transplanted -the following spring -to a permanent location .
It is more advisable to start from “crowns” . Choose large, one-year-old crowns if possible. They transplant easier, produce plants as vigorous as two-year-old crowns and are less expensive.
Site Selection is critical for asparagus . Select an area that is free of perennial weeds . Asparagus prefers a loamy soil that is well drained. If possible start to prepare a site 1 year in advance of planting by turning the soil and adding compist . Check your soil PH , and be sure there is plenty of well rotted organic matter present.
Space asparagus crowns 12 inches to 18 inches apart in the row. When you want more than one row, space rows 4 feet to 6 feet apart.
Traditionally, crowns are planted in a deep trench or furrow. Recent research shows no benefit from planting crowns deeper than 4 inches to 6 inches in the trench. Spread out the fleshy roots at the bottom of the furrow. Lightly cover the crown with soil. Gradually fill in the furrow as shoots emerge. Never completely bury the developing asparagus fern.
Do not compact the soil over the newly filled furrow or the emergence of the asparagus will be severely reduced. Spears should emerge within one week in moist soils.
By mid-season of the planting year, a ridge forms that is 4 inches to 6 inches high and 2 feet wide over the asparagus crowns. Maintain this ridge for the duration of the planting.
To plant asparagus, dig a trench 6-8 inches deep , wide enough to spread out the roots of the crown in the trench bottom.
Place the crown in the bottom of the trench – buds upward. Cover the crowns with 2 inches of soil. As the plants grown, additional soil should be added to the trench until it is completely filled at the end of the first season. Deep planting will allow for easier cultivation without injury to the plants.
Moisture during the summer is critical to keep the plants healthy because next year’s crop is directly related to health of the fern growth after the spears have been harvested in the present year. Asparagus is very drought tolerant and will generally survive without supplemental watering. It seeks moisture deep in the soil. However, if rainfall is insufficient when planting or afterwards, it is beneficial to irrigate the crowns. Otherwise the plants will become stressed and growth will be impeded.
The incidence of disease can be reduced by proper spacing and by watering early in the day so leaves dry quickly or by using soaker hoses. Inexpensive Water timer systems are available .
Control weeds by hand-pulling or shallow cultivation to avoid injury to the plant roots.
In a small planting, it’s more practical to control weeds through shallow cultivation by hoeing. Using an organic mulch such as grass clippings that have not been treated with a herbicide also helps control weeds. . If perennial grasses and broadleaf weeds have gotten out of control, use glyphosate (Roundup) before spears emerge in the spring. During harvest keep cultivation shallow to prevent damaging the spears that have emerged. Organic mulches may be used to inhibit weeds
Common table salt once was used to control weeds in asparagus. But is no longer recommended. Although asparagus is more tolerant of high salt levels in the soil than most plants, the sodium in table salt can permanently destroy the soil structure.
Fertilize annually . Immediately after harvest apply about 2 pounds of a 5-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet , or spread well rotted manure, or Liquid Fish Concentrate over the bed. You may add additional well-rotted manure or compost in late fall.
Lime and fertilizer applications are best based on a soil test. In general, two pounds each of actual nitrogen, phosphorus (P2O5), and potash (K2O) per 1,000 square feet of garden space is adequate
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