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The Popular Herb That Could Boost Your Garden's Asparagus Growth
By KALEIGH BRILLON
Asparagus and cilantro are excellent companion plants that benefit each other so that both can thrive, and their almost identical requirements make it easy to care for them.
Asparagus likes full sun exposure and well-draining soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Similarly, cilantro likes the same sunlight and a slightly more acidic soil pH of 6.2 to 6.8.
Cilantro is difficult to grow in summer, as it goes to seed once temperatures rise; however, asparagus has the height and foliage to shade cilantro and prolong the harvest season.
Once cilantro bolts it produces lots of tiny white flowers that attract pollinators and beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings, which combat aphids that plague asparagus.
These two plants like different amounts of water, however. Asparagus’ deep roots need lots of water, so water the top 3 to 4 feet of soil to prevent its roots from staying shallow.
Cilantro has a shallow root system that needs more water, but when mature it’s drought-tolerant, so water both plants every other week and supplement your cilantro in-between.