Asparagus

Plant family

Asparagus family (Asparagaceae)

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Dry

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

High

Light germinator

Germination temperature

18 - 22 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

30 cm

Row spacing

120 cm

Seeding depth

1 cm

Instructions

The season for this plant has not yet begun. The following instructions are for the beginning season.

End of March

Propagating

End of March

Pile up

Every two Weeks

End of March

Mulch

Every 26 Weeks

Description

Vegetable asparagus belongs to the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). The perennial shrub grows mainly underground. The rootstock overwinters and sprouts new shoots in spring. These young shoots are harvested as asparagus. After harvesting, the cut shoots form asparagus greens or asparagus haulm.

Growing tips

Asparagus seed is only lightly covered with soil. Asparagus grows in the same location for several years. As a heavy feeder, it needs a lot of nutrients. Start preparing the bed the previous year. Loosen the soil to a depth of around 30 cm before winter. Work in plenty of compost, manure and coarse material. You can start growing from April. The young plants are planted in the bed from mid-May and covered with 10 cm of soil. If they continue to sprout, add more soil. However, the uppermost shoot tips must always remain visible. Patience is required until the first harvest. Only from the third year onwards can you harvest fresh asparagus every year from the beginning of May to June 24. At the end of the season, perennial asparagus goes into a dormant phase. After harvesting, cut off the stalks and in the fall cut off the green. In this way, you remove any basis for diseases. You can replenish missing nutrients with a nettle slurry and compost. Finally, a layer of mulch helps against weeds. If the asparagus sprouts again in spring, add more soil. Asparagus can also be grown from pre-grown rhizomes, in which case the crop only lasts 1 year. Plant green asparagus 15 cm deep, white 25 cm deep and cover with 8-10 cm of soil. Fill in the trench as the plant grows. Asparagus can be grown in the same location for 10 years. Keep the bed free of weeds, as asparagus cannot tolerate them.