Can I grow asparagus in my own vegetable garden?
My husband and I got a taste of asparagus last year. We would like to start growing them on our own plot, but we have no idea how to go about it. I am asking for some advice on growing these tasty vegetables.
Asparagus is a perennial.It consists of:
- perennial underground part called carp (shortened rhizome, buds and roots),
- aerial shoots that appear in early spring and die in late autumn.
The edible part is the so-called projections that grow from the buds formed on the rhizome.Asparagus is a dioecious plant.The male varieties are most often grown, which are considered tastier.
Nutritional values
Asparagus spines are low in calories and contain vitamins C, B1, B2, E, K, P, PP, beta carotene, potassium, phosphorus, iron and trace amounts of selenium and germanium.These substances have a beneficial effect on the work of the heart and the nervous system.In China, asparagus syrup with anti-cancer properties is produced.
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Growing conditions
Asparagus must have a well-sunny and airy position, but at the same time sheltered from the wind. Strong gusts can break its shoots. It should not be grown in north-eastern Poland and in foothill regions.
This plant requires permeable soils with a high humus content and high pH (6.0-7.0).Light clay sands and sandy soils on light clay are the best for cultivation.The groundwater level should be below 1 m.
The land on which we intend to plant asparagus should be weeded and sprinkled with lime if necessary. In the year before planting, it must be fed with manure or compost at a rate of 6-10 kg per m².
Planting
We set up an asparagus at the end of March or the beginning of April, when weather and soil conditions allow it.Roots should have 15-20 roots. We plant them in furrows approx. 20 cm deep, 20-30 cm wide and approx. 150 cm apart.
Carps are placed every 30-40 cm. We cover them with a 5 cm layer of soil, which we knead thoroughly. After planting - when it is dry - the plants need to be watered even every 2 days.
Fertilization
If you decide to fertilize with mineral nitrogen, then in mid-May you should sow 6 g / m² of ammonium nitrate into the furrows. The second treatment is carried out in the first half of July in the amount of 10 g / m² also to the furrow, and the third - in the first half of August, using 15 g / m² of fertilizer.Nitrogen-powered plants will grow faster, but at the same time will be more susceptible to diseases and pests.For the first 2 years, we do not collect the spikes, but let the asparagus grow freely.
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Skincare
In periods of drought, we systematically water the plants and destroy weeds.In the fall, when the shoots are dry, remove them and compost or burn them.In early spring, before the asparagus starts to grow, sprinkle them with compost soil.
Set
We start harvesting vegetables in the third year. Asparagus can be grown with white or green insets.
In the first case, a dike should be formed over the carp in early spring
trapezoidal shape, base 30-40 cm and height 35 cm.The vegetable begins to grow when the temperature exceeds 5 ° C.When the soil on the surface of the shaft breaks, it means that the plant begins to break through . In such a case, the ground should be disassembled and the protrusion should be cut with a special asparagus knife just above the carp. Then we backfill the ground just like before the scraping.
If we grow asparagus with green tabs (they contain 3 times more vitamin C and are less fibrous), we do not form dikes from the ground, but wait until the tabs reach a height of 18-22 cm. Then we cut them just above the carp.
In the first year, we harvest for 3-4 weeks, so that we can do it by the end of May. In the following years, we do it for 5-6 weeks and finish approx.20th of June.Then we let the asparagus grow freely until fall. In summer, plants produce buds (seeds for the next season) and accumulate spare substances in the roots.A well-run asparagus produces even 10-15 years.
