How to Plant and Grow Asparagus: A Comprehensive Guide
Let’s cover everything you need to know about how to plant and grow asparagus. Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that can last up to 20 years with proper care, and it's easy to grow if you follow a few simple steps.
Firstly, you need to select the variety of asparagus you want to grow. The most popular way of growing asparagus is from crowns, and you can choose from varieties such as New Jersey or Mary Washington. Once you've chosen your variety, it's time to prepare the ground. Asparagus likes a lot of organic matter, does not like weed competition, and prefers a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. If your soil is acidic, you can amend it using wood ash or ash from your fireplace, which is mostly basic in pH and also adds potassium and phosphorus to the soil.
Site selection is also critical when planting asparagus. Asparagus likes full sun and well-drained soil. If you have sandy soil, you have no problem, but if you have clay soil, you'll need to add compost to enhance more drainage and add organic matter into the soil. Compost also retains moisture in sandy soils, so it works both ways. It helps to drain excess water from clay soils and helps to retain moisture in sandy soils, encouraging beneficial microbes, beneficial bacteria, fungi to develop, and also feeding your plants.
Once you've prepared the ground, it's time to plant your asparagus crowns. Dig a trench at least six inches deep and six inches wide, or better still, dig a trench at least eight to twelve inches deep and eight to twelve inches wide. Fan out all the roots and keep the crown raised up, and then plant the crowns 18 inches apart and three to four feet apart in rows. Cover the crowns with soil and water well. Asparagus likes moist soil, so keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged.
Asparagus can be attacked by various insects, such as cutworms, beetles, aphids, and asparagus miners. You can get rid of these insects using neem oil, pure castile soap, BT spray, Spinosad spray, and diatomaceous earth.
In conclusion, growing asparagus is easy if you follow these simple steps. Asparagus is a delicious vegetable that can last up to 20 years with proper care. So, start planting your asparagus today, and in no time, you'll be harvesting your own delicious asparagus shoots. I hope you found this comprehensive guide helpful, and I'll see you in another post.