How to care for asparagus plants. Keep newly planted asparagus crowns well-watered and weed-free. Let the crowns develop plenty of ferny foliage so they can become strong and established. Don’t harvest asparagus in the first two years – harvesting before the third season will weaken the plants.
When should I clear my asparagus bed?
Asparagus foliage allowed to remain in the garden over winter should be removed in late March or early April before spears begin to emerge.
How do you prepare an asparagus bed in the spring?
The first chore in the spring is to cut off the dead asparagus foliage at ground level. Early spring is also an excellent time to fertilize the asparagus planting. Apply 50 pounds of barnyard manure per 100 square feet. Lightly till the manure into the top 2 or 3 inches of soil with a rototiller or spade.
How do I improve my asparagus bed?
9 Soil Tips for Growing Better Asparagus
- Load Up on Phosphorus. Asparagus loves phosphorus.
- Hold the Salt.
- Don’t Rotate Beds.
- Keep It Weed-Free.
- Top-Dress Every Spring.
- Fertilize Twice A Year.
- Minimize Disease and Pest Risk.
- Companion Plant and Cover Crop.
Should asparagus plants be cut back?
Pruning is an important part of proper edible plant care, and in the case of asparagus, it’s particularly easy to do. Asparagus foliage that forms after harvest is strengthening the crown and root system for next year’s crop, so you’ll want to prune in late fall or early winter.
How do I prepare my asparagus bed for winter?
After the fronds turn brown, remove them by cutting them off at the base. You then have the choice of leaving the bed bare for the winter and hoping for good snow cover to protect the crowns, or mulching the bed with 4″ – 6″ of straw, shavings, or sawdust.
How long does an asparagus bed last?
The patience is well worth it, though, as asparagus beds can be productive for 15, 20, sometimes up to 30 years. Because asparagus stays productive for so long, it’s important to plant the best variety available for your area.
How do you take care of asparagus ferns?
Caring for asparagus ferns
Reduce watering in autumn, and water more sparingly in winter. Feed once a month with a liquid feed in spring and summer. Provide some humidity by grouping plants together or misting regularly, especially in summer or if the central heating is on. Repot every couple of years, in spring.
Should I put lime on my asparagus bed?
Lime for asparagus: Among the list of common garden vegetables, asparagus is probably the one that loves lime the most. Lime for asparagus is necessary to give the plant the ‘sweet’ alkaline soil it craves. Asparagus only needs a slightly alkaline soil, but it can tolerate soil pH up to 8.0.
How deep should an asparagus bed be?
Young asparagus plants will grow here for their first year. The site for the asparagus nursery should be level and have sandy soil. Plant seed in spring, about one inch deep, spaced two to three inches apart, within rows that are a foot apart. Seeds can take three weeks to germinate.
What happens if you don’t harvest asparagus?
You should harvest all of the spears that come up until the end of the harvest period, even the small diameter ones. If you don’t, asparagus beetles will lay their eggs in those ferns.
How do you overwinter asparagus?
Once the fronds have been cut back, cease watering the asparagus entirely. The idea when winterizing asparagus beds is to protect the crowns from cold injury. Spread 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) of mulch such as straw, wood chips, or other organic materials over the crowns.
Should you cut asparagus after it goes to seed?
Keep the following in mind when you cut back your plants in autumn: Growth of asparagus foliage is an important part of the plant’s life cycle. Unless you plan to save the seeds, it’s best to remove them to conserve energy. Wait until foliage turns yellow or brown and the plant becomes dormant before pruning.
What do you do with an asparagus fern in the winter?
Set the new pebble-filled saucer wherever the asparagus fern is going to live, then set the fern pot and saucer on the pebble-filled saucer. Always keep the pebble-filled saucer filled with clean water. As the water evaporates you’ll have effectively created a humidity tray for the fern to live during the winter.
How do you fertilize an asparagus bed?
Asparagus can be fertilized in early spring before the spears emerge. An application of 1 to 1.5 pounds of an all-purpose garden fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, per 100 square feet should be adequate. Asparagus can also be fertilized after the last harvest in June. Using a nitrogen fertilizer, apply .
Can you move an asparagus bed?
Transplanting asparagus is difficult, but worth it for the best growth from your plants. Transplanting asparagus should be done when the crown is dormant. Use a garden shovel to feel around each asparagus plant for roots. Once you can get under the root system, gently pull up until the plant is free.
Should I mulch my asparagus bed?
And here’s how to simplify weed control in your asparagus bed: Use a loose mulch. Good mulching materials include sawdust, wood chips, shavings and ground corncobs. These materials shut out weed growth, but still permit asparagus to come up. Caution: if applied too early, it may tend to keep the soil cool.
What do you do with asparagus at the end of the season?
After harvest, asparagus foliage should be left until all the green is gone. Tops should not be removed from asparagus plants the first two seasons until after killing freezes. The tops are essential in producing and transferring food to the roots for a vigorous crop the next spring.
What do you do after harvesting asparagus?
Asparagus is low maintenance after harvest, but it is not zero-maintenance. Postharvest tasks to keep the field healthy include moderate weed management, fertilization and, in some cases, irrigation. These tasks should not take much time, but ignoring them may decrease plant health and vigor the following year.
Do asparagus ferns come back every year?
An Asparagus Fern is a perennial plant.
Then they are plants that return year after year without needing to be replanted.
What grows well with asparagus?
The best companion plants for asparagus may be tomatoes, basil, and parsley. Together, all four of these plants play nicely together and offer benefits in the garden. Other good planting companions for asparagus include lettuce, spinach, peppers, eggplant, strawberries, and lots of different herbs.