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How to Grow Asparagus
Index
- Sowing Instructions
- How to Transplant
- Crop Maintenance
- How to Harvest
- Storage
Sowing Instructions
- Sowing time: Sow in early spring
- Sowing location: Indoors
- Sow in seed trays or pots
- If using a 24 cell seed tray sow one seed per cell
- If using 9cm pots sow 3 seeds per pot
- Asparagus needs 20°C to germinate
- Before you sow your asparagus seed, soak them in warm water for 24 hours
- Lightly cover seeds with compost, press down compost & soak
How to Transplant
- Transplant outdoors after 3 or 4 months
- Soil: Asparagus likes light, free draining soil, free of perennial weeds
- Ground preparation is done the previous autumn, adding well rotted farm yard manure
- If your soil is a heavy clay, grow asparagus in raised beds
- Asparagus is a perennial and will stay in the ground for many years - choose location carefully
Crop Maintenance
- Keep soil weed free at all times
- Keep the rows weed free and well watered
- Pests & Diseases
- Slugs and snails - Can damage young developing spears, reducing crops and weakening plants
- Asparagus beetles - spray with bifenthrin to control
Harvesting
- Allow plants to develop for first two years before harvesting
- Cut down spears in autumn of first year and mulch up around each plant
- Recommended that you leave harvesting until the third year, allowing plant develop a good root network
- Water well the week before harvest
- Harvest from May to mid June by removing spears with a sharp knife at ground level
- Harvest once spears are 15cm long
Storage
- Can be placed in the fridge for short term storage
- For longer term storage asparagus can be frozen, but not recommended
- Eat crops soon after harvest
