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Tips & Tricks For Successfully Growing Healthy Garden Asparagus
By AJ ATTIA
Test & Prep The Soil
Well-draining soil with the correct pH levels and nutrients is necessary for asparagus to establish itself and avoid root rot and nutritional deficiencies.
Send a soil sample to your local agriculture department for professional testing once every three years. Then, add organic material, compost, or manure to your soil accordingly.
Time Your Harvest
Overharvesting and harvesting too early will stunt your plant’s growth, reduce the quality of next season’s harvest, and leave it vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Asparagus grown from seeds can be harvested after three years, while those from crowns can begin after two. Once the new spears thin out, you should stop harvesting for the season.
Plant Male Varieties
Although female asparagus grow larger spears, they also produce berries after pollination that sap energy from the plant, resulting in a lower yield harvest.
Female plants also cause weed-like asparagus seedlings that need to be removed. As such, it’s better to plant all-male hybrid varieties, such as the Jersey or Millennium series.
Prepare For Winter
Asparagus is susceptible to cold, so start the wintering process in the fall by cutting back the fronds and covering the beds with a thick layer of organic mulch.
Pull Weeds
If you neglect to till your soil, a host of weeds can take root and steal nutrients, moisture, and sunlight from your asparagus, stunting their growth and productivity.
Make sure to pull out any weeds you find by the roots, and carefully churn the top 3 inches of the soil in early spring and after the fall harvest to prevent more from growing.