Today, many vegetables are grown on beds in open fields. One popular crop is asparagus. This plant is resistant to cold, unpretentious in care. At the same time, the vegetable has a lot of useful components. To grow asparagus in your garden without any difficulties, you need to consider several recommendations. The advice of experienced summer residents will be discussed later.
general description
Growing asparagus at home does not cause great difficulties. It is a nutritious vegetable that belongs to the asparagus family. It has a pleasant taste and an impressive list of minerals and microelements necessary for life, for example, B, C, A vitamins, as well as selenium, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, manganese, copper, etc.
Translated from Greek, the name of the presented plant is translated as "escape". This unpretentious, resistant to cold plants. Asparagus can be found in the wild of Europe, Asia, Africa. Since the plant is resistant to frost, it is grown even in Siberia. However, you must adhere to the rules of its cultivation. For example, spring frosts up to -5 ° C can harm the plant. At rest, it can survive frosts up to -30 ˚.
Asparagus is a perennial herb. The shoots reach a height of 1.5 m. Asparagus grows in the same place for up to 20 years. During this time, she is able to throw up to 50 shoots. This is a dioecious plant. First, flowers are formed on female plants. After that, you can observe the ovaries, from which inedible berries appear. They have a red color. Male flowers produce pollen. In berries there are no more than 2 seeds. Asparagus is grown from them. Seeds remain viable for 5 years.
Growing asparagus has several nuances. This must be taken into account when choosing a cultivation method. An asparagus bush is a stalk with many branches. They, in turn, have many short stems. Edible shoots grow from the buds that are located on the rhizomes of the bush.
Varietal variety
Today, there are about 300 varieties of the plant represented. This is a delicacy that is eaten in different forms. Also, some varieties make drugs. The most popular in our country are such varieties as the Snowy Head, Glory of Braunschweig, as well as late asparagus Argentel. The cultivation of these varieties has several features.
All varieties can be divided into medicinal, gourmet and decorative. Depending on what the plant is used for, you need to choose the appropriate variety. Most often summer residents cultivate just delicious varieties. Such asparagus is expensive in stores. Therefore, it is more advisable to grow the culture yourself.
Snow Head Asparagus is a mid-early variety. This is a popular plant that is grown in different areas of our country. The shoots of such asparagus have a greenish cream color. The shoot head is a little loose. It tastes like green peas. The variety is in demand because of its pleasant, delicate taste.
Grade Braunschweig Glory ripens quite late. This plant, popular in our country, is used for conservation. The shoots are almost white in color. This variety is characterized by high productivity. Shoots also taste good. Fruits are resistant to gardening.
Another common variety is asparagus Argentel. Growing from seeds or seedlings gives high results. The shoots are white. They have a low fiber structure. At the tops of the shoots there are small protruding scales. Harvesting is carried out over a long period, as the fruits ripen gradually. Shoots are eaten both in raw and in cooked, canned form.
Seed propagation
Growing asparagus from seeds at home is not very popular among gardeners. However, it does occur. The low interest of summer residents in this method of asparagus cultivation is explained by the low percentage of germination of seed shoots. If you perform all the steps correctly, you can get a good result.
In early April (or somewhat later if the climate is cold), the seeds should be soaked in warm water with a growth stimulator. They are left in the liquid for two days. After that, you need to prepare the container. Light soil is poured into it. To prepare it, you need to take soil from the garden (2 parts), as well as sand (1 part), manure (1 part), peat (1 part).
Grains are laid out on the surface of the soil. They need to be sprinkled with earth. The layer is approximately 1 cm. In this case, the soil should remain loose. Watering must be done with a spray gun. The soil must not be tamped with. Further irrigation is also carried out in this way. Drying of the soil or stagnation of moisture in it should not be allowed.
It is recommended to cover the container with clear glass or plastic wrap. So the moisture inside will stay longer. Inside the mini-greenhouse, you need to maintain a temperature of 25 to 27 ° C. At the same time, the space inside the container needs to be ventilated daily. Turn the glass over and wipe it.
Growing asparagus from seeds at home does not cause difficulties. The first sprouts should appear on the soil surface after 6 weeks. Therefore, be patient. Not earlier than in 1,5 months the first asparagus sprouts will appear over the container with soil.
Gardeners tips
Growing asparagus from seeds has a number of nuances. Since the germination of shoots can be low, gardeners are advised to perform a number of special actions. When choosing a container, you need to give preference to a spacious container. Its height should be about 10 cm. In such a container, the roots will have enough space for development. In asparagus they are quite powerful.
To strengthen the immunity of plants to various adverse conditions, the effects of parasites and bacteria, it is necessary to process the seed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. They remain in the liquid for 2 hours. After that, the seeds are carefully removed from the jar and laid out on moist wood chips.
The cultivation of asparagus in open ground from seeds begins in mid-June. Stably warm weather is established at this time, you can not be afraid of the return of night frosts that can destroy the culture.
Experienced gardeners do not recommend growing seeds in gauze. When germinating, the shoots will break even with the slightest movement. Therefore, it will be difficult to transplant them into the open ground.
Experienced gardeners also advise constantly turning the glass over, wiping the surface from condensation. Otherwise, the seeds will rot due to high humidity. However, the drying of the soil, its compaction significantly reduce the percentage of seedlings.
Planting seedlings in the ground
The cultivation and care of asparagus in the open field also have a number of nuances. While planting material sprouts in a mini-greenhouse, you need to properly prepare the beds. Soil in the garden needs to be fertilized. To do this, you need to add humus to it (a bucket of 1 m 2 ) and any complex fertilizer that can be purchased at a specialized store.
Dig the soil in the beds. The surface needs to be loosened and leveled. The distance between them is about 35 cm. In some cases, the seeds are immediately brought into the ground. To do this, they are sown to a depth of 2 cm. The distance between the shoots will be 6 cm. When the first shoots appear, they need to be thinned. Only the strongest, hardiest shoots leave. They should be at a distance of 10 to 15 cm from each other.
If the seedlings were planted in open ground, she needs increased attention and proper care. In June, nitrogen-based fertilizers are applied to the soil. You also need to make sure that the soil does not dry out. Weeds are immediately removed from the beds.
If you plant seedlings that were grown in a mini-greenhouse, the plant will be more prepared for environmental conditions. Such shoots develop faster. By August, the plant adapts to growing conditions in the open ground. It will need to be properly prepared for the winter. In September, the beds are fertilized with phosphorus bait. In October, overhead shoots die off. Rhizomes must be protected from frost. For this, a layer of humus (3 cm) is laid on the surface. Fallen foliage can also be used for these purposes.
Root cultivation method
The cultivation of asparagus in the open field can be carried out by the root method. In this case, the division of the bush is carried out. This, according to experienced gardeners, is the easiest way to grow sturdy shoots. With this method of cultivation of asparagus, its rooting occurs with a high degree of probability. This process is carried out before the onset of winter.
For planting, a young or adult plant is suitable. When dividing the bush, you need to pay attention to the upper shoots. Each divided part must have at least one escape.
The beds need to be prepared. Weeds, rhizomes of the last harvest are harvested. The soil must be loosened, fertilizing it. If root planting is carried out in the spring, the earth is fertilized with compost. In the fall, mineral fertilizers are required.
If asparagus roots are planted in the spring in the spring, they need to be laid in the soil in the garden. Shoots are covered with soil. Deepen the roots 5 cm from the soil surface. So it will be easier to water the plant.
When planning to grow asparagus with the help of roots, it is recommended to plant in the autumn. Rhizomes are introduced into the soil at a distance of at least 10 cm from each other. They are not only sprinkled with soil, but also formed from the earth above the mound. So the plant will be protected from frost.
Cuttings
Studying the conditions for growing asparagus, you need to consider another method of breeding a plant. To do this, you need to plant green shoots of culture in the ground. In March-June, cuttings should be cut from a plant planted last year. They need to be planted in moist sand. The plant is quickly rooted in such conditions. It must be covered with a protective cap. This, for example, may be half a plastic bottle. The material must be transparent.
After this, you need to constantly moisten the soil, ventilating the crops every day. To do this, remove the protective cap for 2-3 hours once a day. Rooting will be completed in approximately 30-45 days. After this, the plants dive. They are planted in pots or in open beds.
Proper care
Unpretentiousness when growing is characterized by a plant such as asparagus. Cultivation and care involve the use of fertilizers. In the second year after planting, fertilizers must be applied to the soil. The soil needs to be loosened. However, they do this very carefully, along the rows, so as not to damage the roots of the plant.
If dry, hot weather is established, you need to moisten the soil. It must not be allowed to dry completely. If watering is not given proper attention, the shoots will become fibrous. Their taste becomes bitter. The taste of asparagus with insufficient watering worsens.
In October, the shoots begin to dry out. They need to be cut off near the ground. The rhizome cannot be damaged. The shoots after this procedure are burned. If on tops there are no diseases, it can be left. It will provide additional protection for the roots during the onset of cold weather. After this, the plants are covered with a layer of leaves or other similar flooring.
Young plants are fed in the fall with superphosphate and potassium salt. The space between the rows must be well loosened. Mulching the soil with peat gives a good result. It is applied to the surface of the soil in the fall. In the spring, mulch is dug up, deepening this layer into the ground. It will serve as additional fertilizer. If mounds of soil have been poured, they need to be leveled in the spring.
Harvesting
Cultivation and care in the open ground of asparagus does not require large expenditures of effort and time of summer residents. Harvesting is carried out in the third year after planting plants on the beds. This is possible if the bushes are well developed. Otherwise, you will need to wait another year. Plants need to provide proper care and pay attention to the right choice of fertilizers.
In early spring, the aisles need to be loosened, introducing humus into the soil. Near each bush you need to make a slide. In April, the first shoots appear. Their ripeness occurs when they reach a height of 5 cm. The diameter of the stems in this case is at least 0.7 cm.
To harvest, you need to dig the soil, and then carefully cut the asparagus at the surface of the soil. Next, the cut site again spud. Once every 3 days you can cut the shoots. This process lasts a little less than a month. A plant that is already 3 years old usually gives up to 5 shoots from one bush. In subsequent years, this figure reaches 15 asparagus sprouts. In this case, the harvest lasts 1-1.5 months.
It should be noted that after harvesting at least 3 shoots must remain on each plant. They will develop, accumulating the substances necessary for the development.
Post Harvest Care
Growing asparagus requires proper care after harvesting. At this time, you need to pay a lot of attention to the plant. The harvest next year will depend on this. After the completion of the assembly process, humus is poured into the aisles. It is deepened into the soil by 6 cm. After that, the earth is watered. Frequent loosening of the soil is a prerequisite for the proper growth of the crop. The procedure must be carried out after watering or rain. These simple steps will help you get a plentiful asparagus crop. For an average family, it is enough to grow up to 20 bushes of this plant on a site.
Having considered the features and recommendations for growing asparagus, you can get a good crop of the crop already in the third year of its growth. This healthy, tasty plant will delight its owners for many years.