How to Grow Asparagus
Asparagus
How to plant asparagus:
Step 1. Dig a trench a foot deep and 18 inches wide.
Leave a distance of 4 feet, center to center, between the trenches, if planting more than one row of asparagus.
Step 2. At the base of the trench, break up the soil to the depth of a spading fork, around 8-10 inches.
Step 3. Add ½ pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer to each 10 foot stretch of trench in your asparagus bed.
How to plant asparagus--soil preparation in an asparagus bed:
Asparagus thrives in neutral soil, with a pH of about 7.0.If a soil test shows the trench soil in your asparagus bed is too acid, sweeten it with ground limestone.
Step 4. Then add 4 inches of aged compost in the bottom of the asparagus trench, which will keep the plants well fed for years.
Step 5. To give the roots a solid base to rest on, walk over the soil in the bottom of the trench to firm it.
Step 6. Then rake it to make it level.
Step 7. Fan the asparagus roots out like the arms of an octopus.
Step 8. Lay them at 2 foot spacing along the floor of the trench.
Step 9. Cover the fragile roots gently with 2 inches of garden soil.
Caring for an Asparagus Bed
As the summer progresses, pull in more soil from the sides of the trenches until the asparagus bed is filled in completely.Every three months or so, dress the rows of growing asparagus with a handful of 10-10-10 fertilizer for each plant.
Harvesting Asparagus Plants
- Two years after planting, the one year old roots will have produced a healthy crop.
- The growing asparagus will be ready for harvest when the stems are about 8 inches tall and ½ inch or greater in diameter.
- Keep the first harvest to a minimum.
- This allows as many stems as possible to continue growing and nourish the plants in the following years.
- Make it a priority that the growing asparagus be harvested on time.
- During warm weather, you will want to harvest every day.
- The growing stems quickly send out side branches and foliage, and when this happens the harvest opportunity is lost.
- You do not need any special tool for harvesting.
- Bend the stems until they break.
- Fertilize the bed with 5-10-5 or 10-10-10 immediately after the harvest and again in mid-July and mid-August.
- Gardeners who have learned how to plant asparagus, and how to care for an asparagus bed, reap the rewards for many years to come!
Not all the plants can be grown by the same rules. So, if you are thinking to grow some Asparagus crowns, then here you can learn how.
How To do it :1. Choose a sunny part of the garden with good drainage.
2. Dig a trench and check the pH, which should be 6.5 to 7.5.
3. Plant the crowns about 8 in. deep and 15 in. apart.
4. Cover initially with 2 in. of dirt, and gradually fill the trench as the spears emerge.
5. The edible stems of asparagus rise directly from the ground. Spears that are about 8 in. tall are ready to harvest.
6. Snapping of the spear by hand is easy and protects the plant. You can use a knife, but be careful not to damage developing stems.
7. At the end of the harvest, allow the asparagus plants to form ferns. These help transfer energy to the roots for good spear development the next season.
Effective against aphids, caterpillars, potato beetles, flea beetles and more! There are two types of asparagus beetle. Both target their namesake plant and do harm to newly emerged spears as well as late season foliage. The common asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi) attacks both garden variety and wild plants.
Asparagus Beetles on Asparagus
The asparagus beetle is a sporadic pest that can be aggravating for asparagus growers throughout Virginia. The shoot damage not only reduces the quality of the spears but this beetle is also unique in the pest world, as it is an insect that is controlled because the eggs laid on the shoots is objectionable to consumers. With a little background on this pest most growers are able develop an effective pest management program.In some parts of Virginia, asparagus growers are already beginning to cut some spears in their fields. Asparagus beetles should start appearing on asparagus sometime in April. Two species of asparagus beetles are found in Virginia, the common asparagus beetle, Crioceris asparagi (L.) [Fig. 1], and the spotted asparagus beetle Crioceris duodecimpunctata (L.) [Fig. 2]. Adults of the common asparagus beetle are 1/4 inch long, metallic blue to black and have wing covers with three or four white spots and reddish margins. The thorax is red and usually marked with two black spots. The spotted asparagus beetle is about 1/3 inch long, orange with 12 spots on its wing covers. Larvae of both are olive green to dark gray with a black head and legs. Larvae measure about 1.5 mm at hatching, and as they develop they become plump and attain a length of about 8 mm. Both have eggs that are approximately 1 mm long, oblong, shiny, black, and are attached by one end to asparagus spears.
Asparagus beetle
Spotted asparagus beetle
Adults and larvae chew on shoots and foliage. Eggs are laid on shoots around the time of harvest. Presence of eggs on the spears is objectionable to some and may impact marketability, although the eggs themselves cause no damage.
Lifecycle: Asparagus beetles overwinter as adults in plant debris. In spring the beetles first feed on the tender asparagus spears and tips of buds, subsequently depositing their brown to black eggs on spears. In about a week the larvae hatch and join the adults feeding on the spears and ferns. After the larvae mature through four instars (in approximately 8 days) they enter the soil beneath plants and pupate, emerging from the soil as adult beetles in 5-10 days. Later in the season another generation of eggs will be laid on the stems and foliage of the asparagus plants. In Virginia there are two generations per year.
Management Options:Cultural Control. Harvest spears as early as possible. Beetles are attracted to plants with an abundance of foliage; therefore, growers can leave a small portion of their crop unharvested as a decoy for beetles to congregate, while the rest of the crop is harvested. Thoroughly remove all plant debris from garden and surrounding areas after harvest to eliminate beetle overwintering sites.
Organic/Biological Control. Spray or dust with botanical insecticides when larvae are first noticed feeding on plants. Important natural enemies of asparagus beetles include a tiny parasitic wasp, Tetrastichus asparagi Crawford, which attacks eggs, and several species of lady beetles (which feed on asparagus beetle eggs and small larvae).
Chemical Control. Treat with a registered insecticide, such as Ambush or Pounce (permethrin), Sevin, Lannate, or Malathion, when beetles begin to lay eggs (usually late April), or when beetle larvae are feeding on the foliage (in the summer). Because asparagus spears are harvested almost daily, it is important to use an insecticide with little residual activity. Be sure to follow the necessary wait period between insecticide application and the days before you can harvest again.
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