Asparagus is taking an increasingly confident position on the table of a modern person - the growing popularity of vegetables is successfully used by farmers throughout the CIS. To properly grow a plant and reap a rich harvest, you will need to master knowledge and skills, but the result will certainly live up to expectations.
General information
Asparagus, also known as asparagus, is a herbaceous variety of vegetation reaching a height of about one and a half meters. Growing in one place for many years (up to 25), one plant can form about 50 valuable shoots.
Asparagus grows with a kind of bush, consisting of a tall, highly branched stem, dividing into several smaller stems. Massive and juicy shoots (which are used as food) originate from many buds located on a powerful rhizome.
Asparagus feels comfortable in almost any climate and weather conditions: the plant can be found all over the globe, from sultry and hot Africa to cold and inhospitable Siberia.
An interesting fact is that despite the plant's resistance to severe frosts, early light spring frosts can cause significant damage to asparagus.
In everyday life, asparagus is classified as a vegetable, among which, every year, it occupies an increasingly confident position. This is due not only to the unique taste of the plant, but also to its outstanding composition. Asparagus contains a lot of useful substances, vitamins and minerals, among which are especially distinguished:
- vitamin C;
- beta carotene;
- iron;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- manganese;
- copper;
- sodium;
- niacin;
- selenium;
- thiamine;
- folic acid;
- phosphorus;
- choline.
Landing
Before embarking on a plant, it is important to put the place where the asparagus will grow in order. The plant requires drained neutral soil and a sunny location protected from strong winds. In addition, asparagus is in dire need of nitrogen, so to succeed in growing a vegetable, you need to dig a future plot from the fall, removing the roots of perennial weeds and bringing in quite a lot of rotted manure or garden compost. Acidic soils are subject to liming.
Spring
In early spring, asparagus is planted until the moment when its buds begin to grow. During spring planting, the soil is generously fertilized with humus (at least 8 kilograms per 1 square meter).
When planting, you should maintain a distance between rows of at least 60 centimeters and 30 between plants in a row, as over time the bushes grow and require space for healthy growth. Thus, it turns out that for 1 square meter of land there are no more than 4 rhizomes of asparagus.
The rhizome must be delicately laid in a pre-made trench 30 centimeters deep. When instilling, leave a small depression, which in the future will greatly simplify the irrigation procedure. As soon as all plants are planted, they must be plentifully flavored with water.
Autumn
Autumn planting also requires preliminary fertilization of the soil, but in this case humus will not work, and for every square meter of soil you will need:
- superphosphate - 60 grams;
- potassium sulfate - 30 grams;
- ammonium sulfate - 20 grams.
The distance between the rhizomes and rows is maintained, however, unlike spring planting, it is necessary to make not hollows in the places of future growth of asparagus, but low mounds. Such an organization will provide natural protection for asparagus roots from winter frosts.
If you need to get asparagus seeds, it is recommended to plant at least 2 plants.
Seed cultivation
Growing from seeds is the most common technique. The method has its advantages and disadvantages. The latter include a relatively poor seed growth rate. However, the asparagus that survived will grow strong and tall.
The cultivation should begin in April, but until this moment the seeds must be pre-prepared: aged for several hours in a solution of potassium permanganate at room temperature.
In the future, growing from seeds consists of several stages:
- For seed germination, you can use sawdust moistened for nutrition, or special peat tablets. Gauze or other wet tissue is not suitable for this purpose: weak asparagus roots will become entangled in the material and be injured. As it grows, it is necessary to maintain normal daylight hours, a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and moderate humidity.
- As soon as the first seedlings appear, the seeds are transplanted into peat glasses with a volume of 100-200 milliliters with a previously prepared garden mix (soil from a future asparagus growing place mixed with sand and peat in a ratio of 2: 1) to a depth of 2 centimeters. After 10 days, seedlings should hatch.
- Transfer the resulting asparagus seedlings to the open ground in June or July. Next year, the rhizomes that have appeared can be transplanted to any convenient place without risking damage to the plant, and until then any movements have been ruled out.
Breeding
Asparagus is not only easy enough to grow, but also multiply the number of existing copies. The easiest way is asparagus propagated by dividing the bush during transplantation.
Young asparagus is recommended to be replanted every year, in any season, except for winter. Aged plants are transplanted every 10 years.
Cuttings
From last year's shoot of an adult plant, from March to June, cuttings must be cut. Put the resulting asparagus into pre-moistened sand, cover it with any improvised translucent or transparent cap (for example, a large glass, half a plastic bottle, etc.).
Submerged cuttings should be regularly ventilated by removing the cap for several hours a day and sprayed. After a month and a half, the first roots should appear as soon as they appear - the plant must be placed in a pot of a suitable size.
The resulting seedlings are suitable for planting in the coming fall.
Winter distillation
Asparagus is a universal vegetable crop that is successfully cultivated in any season, including winter. In the spring greenhouses are used for this purpose, in the winter - greenhouses.
You can get new representatives of asparagus in winter and early spring with the help of distillation of shoots. For this purpose, the rhizome of adult plants (at least 4 years) is used. To achieve the goal, you must:
- Dig up the rhizomes in October and before the onset of December, remove to a cool place (for example, in the basement or cellar), in which the temperature should constantly be maintained in the range of 0-2 degrees of heat.
- At the beginning of December, in the first days, the asparagus rhizomes should be relocated into small containers, which must be placed in the greenhouse, compactly pressing each other. On 1 square meter of the area should fit at least 15 containers.
- Top with a thick layer of humus (at least 15 centimeters), and the containers themselves additionally cover and wrap in a black film.
- Next, you need to observe a clear temperature regime. During the first week, the temperature in the greenhouse should be maintained at around 10 degrees Celsius. As soon as the rhizomes begin to grow, increase to 18 degrees. This temperature should be maintained in the room for 2 months, while harvesting will occur.
Care
In the second year after planting asparagus, mineral fertilizers are applied. The soil along the rows needs early and high-quality loosening. However, it is important to be careful not to damage vulnerable roots and not harm the plant.
Arid weather requires increased attention from the farmer: his task is to keep the soil constantly moist. Failure to comply with the soil moisture regime is fraught with a deterioration in the taste and texture of the future crop: asparagus can become fibrous, stiff and bitter.
The asparagus shoots drying out in October should be carefully cut off near the ground, observing all precautions so as not to damage the rhizome. The resulting dry parts of the plant are to be burned. In asparagus, not affected by diseases, the leaves can be left: it will serve as a natural protection of rhizomes from hypothermia in the winter season.
In autumn, young plantings (aged 1 and 2 years) and fruiting plants must again be flavored with superphosphate (up to one and a half kilograms per 10 square meters) and 40% potassium salt (about 0.3 kg). After feeding, the soil between the rows is deeply loosened. A good effect is brought by autumn mulching with peat - for best results the layer should be thick - about 10 centimeters).
In the absence of snow or little snow cover, asparagus seedlings in the nursery are reliably covered with straw, leaves or manure.
In early spring, the mulch is loosened and embedded in the soil as top dressing. This operation must be carried out annually without fail. In April, soil poured in the form of rolls on rows of fruit-bearing asparagus is subject to careful leveling and easy tamping. The width of the rolls at the base in the first years of cultivation is 40 centimeters, in the subsequent years about 50. Such a simple manipulation makes it easy to detect cracks on the ground above asparagus seedlings - the appearance of defects indicates that the seedlings can be cut.
Harvesting
The first shoots of asparagus hatch quite soon after transplanting. However, they still cannot be collected - they need time to turn into neat bushes. The next year after planting, the crop also should not be harvested. The maximum allowed is to cut a couple of young shoots from the bush (applies only to some varieties).
The third year is the perfect time to harvest the first full-fledged asparagus crop. Shoots that have reached a height of at least 10 centimeters are cut to a depth of 5 centimeters with a special knife for asparagus. In extreme cases, without the necessary tools available, the shoot can be broken with your fingers. If necessary, the crop can be harvested daily, preventing the asparagus from overgrowing.
The plant is harvested for 2-2.5 months. For the collection to last as long as possible, early and late cultivars can be planted on the same bed. Harvesting should be stopped by early summer to allow the remaining asparagus to develop and gain strength by the next harvest of vegetables.
Storage
The asparagus is stored in a refrigerator, wrapped in a damp cloth, from two weeks to four months, depending on conditions and variety. At this time, do not put in the refrigerator products that have a pungent and specific smell, otherwise the vegetable will quickly soak in them. The shoots should be stacked vertically, since asparagus is prone to deformation when stored horizontally.
You can also keep vegetables perfectly in an ordinary wooden box in a cool, well-ventilated place (for example, in a cellar). So that the shoots do not lose their softness and juiciness, they can be sprinkled with sand.
Another way to store asparagus for a long time is to freeze it. To do this, sort the shoots into thin and thick. Rinse the raw materials thoroughly and knit in small brooms. The resulting bundles from thick shoots should be blanched in boiling water for 4 minutes, from thin shoots - within 2. Put asparagus in plastic containers and send to freeze.
Disease
Asparagus is a fairly resistant plant to the development of diseases, however, even uninvited guests in the form of invasive and infectious diseases sometimes strike it.
Most common
Among the troubles that can be encountered in the process of growing asparagus are the following:
- Rust. The disease is caused by pathogenic fungi and develops in several stages. Affected plants are significantly behind in development from their healthy relatives and practically do not give shoots. Rust causes great damage to the crop next year, as it leads to premature yellowing of asparagus in late summer, before the root system is formed and the buds are laid at the base of the stems. Areas with watertight soil and close groundwater localization are ideal for rust development.
Frequent and heavy rains also increase the chances of the plant to face this problem even with the most careful care.
- Rhizoctonia. Another fungal disease of asparagus, the development of which is accompanied by stem rot, aging and drying of the stem. Excessive watering, the use of an unsterilized soil mixture and the violation of its structure, the use of infected seeds significantly increase the chances of a plant to encounter rhizoctonia. Ill asparagus must be destroyed as soon as possible.
- Asparagus fly. Small brown pest with yellow limbs, head and antennae. It feeds on the shoots of asparagus, making moves throughout the pulp. As a result of this vital activity of the parasite, the plant bends, withers and dies.
- Asparagus leaf beetle. An uninvited guest brought in from Western Europe directly with asparagus. This is a dark blue beetle, up to 0.5 centimeter in size, with a red border on the back that tastes like berries, flowers and asparagus tops. Outbreaks of parasite activity begin in spring, with maximum activity occurring in the middle of summer.
- Fusarium. A disease caused by pathogenic fungi is also known as root rot. Sick plants, starting in June, turn yellow, wither and dry prematurely. When the base of the stems is damaged, brick or brown spots with a white fluffy coating are formed on them. The disease develops more often in older plants growing in conditions of high humidity.
Prevention and control
Preventive spraying of plants in the spring and autumn season will help protect asparagus from diseases. The following fungicides are used for this task:
- Bordeaux liquid (a mixture of copper sulfate and slaked lime);
- Topaz;
- Topsin M;
- Fitosporin.
Timely destruction of dead asparagus fragments and preventing the emergence of weeds in the plant growth zone is the key to a stable and rich harvest.
In the fight against invasive diseases, the treatment of asparagus with the help of Karbofos, a low-toxic, odorless preparation, gives positive results. Asparagus needs to be processed as soon as possible when the farmer detects the first signs of parasites. In order to minimize the potential damage to the plant, the beds should be inspected on an ongoing basis, and when eggs are found, collect and burn them.
The best varieties
According to the criterion of appearance, asparagus is divided into 3 types:
- Green The most common and popular variety of asparagus, which was cultivated in ancient Rome for medicinal purposes. It has good taste characteristics and pleases with a high content of nutrients.
- White. It has been cultivated since the beginning of the XIX century, it was and remains especially popular in Moscow. Also known as bleached, chlorophyll-free and etiolated. White asparagus is considered tastier than green, and its shoots with a more delicate texture.
- Violet. It is the rarest subspecies of asparagus. It has a specific taste and a slightly bitter aftertaste. During heat treatment, purple asparagus changes its color to green. This variety has a low calorie content and high nutritional value.
The most popular among modern farmers are the following varieties of asparagus:
- Cito. A high-yielding guest from France, whose calling card is unusually long shoots. This is an early hybrid variety represented by exceptional male plants.
- Connovers colossal. It is the most popular of the early varieties of asparagus. The bushes form thickened shoots that are especially good for freezing for the winter.
- Franklin and Limbras. High-yielding hybrid varieties characterized by thick shoots and only males. Unlike most other types of asparagus, with Limbras and Franklin you can harvest the next year after planting.
- Lucullus.A relatively new hybrid variety of asparagus with male plants, considered more productive than older varieties. It is characterized by straight and tall shoots.
Varieties of asparagus, consisting only of male plants, can be propagated exclusively using cuttings.
- Martha washington. A very common, mid-early, high-yielding variety of American selection. It has high resistance to rust, therefore it is recommended for growing in climatic zones with high humidity. Martha Washington gives quite long shoots of various shades of purple and red. In bright light, the color of the heads may take on a green tint.
- Argentel. Foreign mid-early variety, modified by domestic selection. Varieties are inherent in white-pink shoots, which in the light turn green-purple. It has a juicy and delicate yellowish-white flesh.
- Gainlim. An early alien from abroad, characterized by a large number of tall shoots of outstanding quality.
- Early yellow. This variety is an achievement of Russian breeders. It is distinguished by good productivity and resistance to diseases, early ripeness and tender yellow shoots with milk flesh.
- Glory of Braunschweig. The long ripening period of asparagus is more than offset by the amazing amount of sprouting shoots with juicy white flesh. Best for canning.
- Royal. Asparagus of this variety is characterized by winter hardiness, drought tolerance, and high resistance to fungal and invasive diseases. Green asparagus, ripening in the middle term.
Asparagus is a newbie-friendly culture. To get a lot of tasty and healthy harvest, you will need to make very little effort, attention and wait 2-3 years. A minimal plant care will provide the gardener with shoots for several decades.