Status: 04.05.2023 4:40 p.m
Asparagus is healthy and delicious, but quite expensive due to the laborious process of harvesting it by hand. The alternative is an asparagus bed in your own garden. What should be considered when growing?
The right time to plant asparagus is from April to the end of May. Asparagus plants are available either from an asparagus farm or in the plant trade. You can order plants there. The requirement per person is around ten to twenty asparagus plants.
First asparagus harvest after three years
However, patience is required until the first harvest: it takes three years. The delicious vegetables can be harvested for about ten years. So it’s worth the effort. If you want to harvest asparagus without interruption for a long time, you have to create the new bed in good time.
Location and planting distance for asparagus
Ideally, asparagus needs a rather sandy soil Garden soil and a sunny location, a north-south orientation of the bed is best. The vegetables have fairly long roots, so the planting hole should be about 40 centimeters deep and wide.
The planting hole for asparagus should be dug about 40 centimeters deep.
There should also be a distance of about 40 centimeters between the plants, and a distance of about 160 centimeters between the rows is recommended. Alternatively, you can also dig a ditch and plant the asparagus at a suitable distance. After digging the planting holes with a digging fork, loosen the soil about a spade deep so that the long roots can grow better.
Plant asparagus – that’s how it works
The growth direction of the asparagus can be seen at the base of the root (in the middle).
First, a layer of organic fertilizer about 30 centimeters high, such as well-seasoned manure, is placed in the planting holes. Firmly stamp the whole thing and fill in a layer of soil about five centimeters high. Only then put the asparagus plants into the ground with their roots spread out. Asparagus plants mainly spread in one direction, so you should pay attention to the direction of growth when planting. It can be recognized by the root base.
Finally, fill the planting holes with soil up to about ten centimeters below the edge and water the bed vigorously. Mound the soil around in June, when the plants are about 30 centimeters high.
Cut off the asparagus weed in the fall
When the asparagus has turned yellow in November, it should be cut off close to the ground. However, the plant residues should not be left in the compost, but belong in the organic waste bin. Otherwise there is a risk that the asparagus fly, which hides in the green, will spread.
After the harvest: working in the asparagus bed
After June 24th, asparagus sprout above ground.
After three years it is harvest time. It ends on June 24th every year. From then on, the plant must grow undisturbed and gather strength for the next year. Gardeners then have to chop weeds. Asparagus cannot use any food competitors and must always be kept weed-free. In autumn – as in previous years – only the asparagus weed is cut off.
The mound of earth should then be removed from the asparagus bed. If you want to save yourself the work, simply leave the wall where it is. Then, however, the next harvest starts a little later, because the asparagus has to grow through solid ground.
Further information
