Today, a lot of vegetables are grown in the beds in the open field. One popular crop is asparagus. This plant is resistant to cold weather, unpretentious care. At the same time, the vegetable has a lot of useful components. So that growing asparagus in your garden does not cause difficulties, you need to consider a few recommendations. The advice of experienced gardeners will be discussed further.
General Description
Growing asparagus at home is easy. It is a nutritious vegetable that belongs to the asparagus family. It has a pleasant taste and an impressive list of minerals and trace elements necessary for life, such as vitamins B, C, A, 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". It is an unpretentious, cold-resistant plant. Asparagus can be found in the wildnature 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 down to -5 ˚С can harm the plant. At rest, it can survive frosts down to -30 ˚С.
Asparagus is a perennial herbaceous plant. 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 form on female plants. After that, here you can observe the ovaries, from which inedible berries appear. They are red. Male flowers produce pollen. The berries have no more than 2 seeds. They grow asparagus. Seeds remain viable for 5 years.
Growing asparagus has several nuances. This must be taken into account when choosing a cultivation method. The asparagus bush is a stem with many branches. They, in turn, have many short stems. Edible shoots grow from the buds that are on the rhizomes of the bush.
Variety variety
Today there are about 300 varieties of the presented plant. It is a delicacy that is eaten in a variety of ways. Medicines are also made from some varieties. The most popular varieties in our country are such varieties as Snezhnaya head, Glory of Braunschweig, as well as Arzhentelskaya late asparagus. The cultivation of these varieties has several features.
All varieties can be divided intomedicinal, delicacy and decorative. Depending on the purpose for which the plant is used, you need to choose the appropriate variety. Most often, gardeners cultivate delicacy varieties. Such asparagus in stores is expensive. Therefore, it is more expedient to grow the crop yourself.
Asparagus variety Snow head belongs to the mid-early varieties. This is a popular plant that is grown in different regions of our country. The shoots of such asparagus have a greenish cream color. The shoot head is slightly loose. It tastes like green peas. The variety is in demand because of its pleasant, delicate taste.
Variety Slava Braunschweig ripens rather late. This plant, popular in our country, is used for conservation. The shoots are almost white in color. This variety has a high yield. The shoots also taste good. The fruits are resistant to landscaping.
Another common variety is Arzhentelskaya asparagus. Growing from seeds or seedlings gives good results. Shoots are white. They are characterized by a low fiber structure. On the tips 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 raw and cooked, canned.
Seed propagation
Growing asparagus from seeds at home is not very popular among gardeners. However, it does take place. The low interest of summer residents in this method of cultivating asparagus is explainedlow percentage of germination of shoots from seeds. If you follow all the steps correctly, you can get a good result.
In early April (or a little 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. At the same time, the soil should remain loose. Watering must be done with a spray bottle. The soil must not be allowed to compact. Further irrigation is also carried out in this way. Do not allow the soil to dry out or stagnate moisture in it.
It is recommended to cover the container with transparent 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 ˚С. At the same time, the space inside the container must be ventilated daily. The glass is turned over and wiped.
Growing asparagus from seed at home is easy. The first sprouts should appear on the surface of the soil after 6 weeks. Therefore, you will need to be patient. Not earlier than in 1.5 months, the first sprouts of asparagus will appear above the container with soil.
Advice from gardeners
Growing asparagus from seeds has a number of nuances. Since the germination of shoots can below, 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, there will be enough space for the roots to develop. 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 wet sawdust.
Cultivation of asparagus in the open field from seeds begins in mid-June. At this time, consistently warm weather sets in, 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, transplanting them into open ground will be difficult.
Also, experienced gardeners 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
Growing and caring for asparagus in the open field also has a number of nuances. While the planting material germinates in a mini-greenhouse, you need to properly prepare the beds. The soil in the garden needs to be fertilized. To do this, you need to add humus to it (a bucket for 1m2) and any complex fertilizer that can be purchased at a specialized store.
Dig up the soil in the beds. The surface must be loosened and leveled. The distance between them is left 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 out. Leave only the strongest, hardiest shoots. They should be at a distance of 10 to 15 cm from each other.
If the seedlings were planted in open ground, it 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 open ground. It will need to be properly prepared for the winter. In September, the beds are fertilized with phosphate bait. In October, above-ground shoots die off. Rhizomes need to be protected from frost. For this, a layer of humus (3 cm) is laid out on the surface. You can also use fallen leaves for these purposes.
Root growing method
Cultivation of asparagus in the open field can be carried out by the root method. In this case, the bush is divided. This, according to experienced gardeners, is the easiest way to grow strong shoots. AtIn this method of breeding asparagus, its rooting occurs with a high degree of probability. This process is carried out before the onset of winter.
A young or adult plant is suitable for planting. When dividing the bush, you need to pay attention to the upper shoots. Each split piece must have at least one shoot.
The beds need to be prepared. Weeds, rhizomes of the previous crop are removed. The soil needs to be loosened by introducing fertilizers into it. If the planting of the roots is carried out in the spring, the earth is fertilized with compost. Mineral fertilizers are required in autumn.
If asparagus roots are planted in the ground in the spring, they need to be laid in the ground in the garden. Shoots are covered with soil. Deepen the roots 5 cm from the soil surface. This will make it easier to water the plant.
If you are going to grow asparagus with 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 form a mound from the ground above the surface. So the plant will be protected from frost.
Cutting
Studying the conditions for growing asparagus, you need to consider another method of breeding plants. To do this, you will 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 moistened sand. The plant in such conditions quickly takes root. It must be covered with a protective cap. This, for example, can be half a plastic bottle. The material must be transparent.
After that, you need to constantly moisten the soil, airing the crops every day. To do this, the protective cap is removed for 2-3 hours once a day. Rooting will be completed in approximately 30-45 days. After that, the plants dive. They are planted in pots or in open beds.
Proper care
Unpretentiousness in cultivation is characterized by such a plant as asparagus. Cultivation and care involve the use of fertilizers. In the second year after planting, mineral fertilizers must be applied to the soil. The soil needs to be loosened. However, they do it very carefully, along the rows, so as not to damage the roots of the plant.
If dry, hot weather sets in, you need to moisten the soil. It must not be allowed to dry out completely. If you do not pay due attention to watering, the shoots will become fibrous. Their taste becomes bitter. The taste of asparagus deteriorates with insufficient watering.
In October, the shoots begin to dry out. They need to be cut near the ground itself. The rhizome cannot be damaged. Shoots after such a procedure are burned. If there are no diseases on the tops, it can be left. It will provide additional protection for the roots during the onset of cold weather. After that, the plants are covered with a layer of leaves or other similar flooring.
Young plants are fed in autumn with superphosphate and potassium s alt. The space between the rows must be well loosened. A good result is mulching the soil with peat. It is applied to the surface of the soil in the fall. In the spring, the mulch is dug up, deepening this layer into the ground. She will serve asadditional fertilizer. If mounds of soil were poured, they need to be leveled in the spring.
Harvesting
Growing and caring for asparagus in the open field does not require a lot of effort and time for gardeners. Harvesting is carried out in the third year after planting the plants on the beds. This is possible if the bushes are well developed. Otherwise, you will have to wait another year. Plants need proper care and attention to the right choice of fertilizers.
In early spring, the aisles need to be loosened by introducing humus into the soil. Near each bush you need to make slides. In April, the first shoots appear. Their ripeness occurs when they reach a height of 5 cm. The diameter of the stems is at least 0.7 cm.
To harvest, you need to rake the soil, and then carefully cut the asparagus near the surface of the soil. Next, the place of the cut is spud again. Once every 3 days, you can cut the shoots. This process takes a little less than a month. A plant that is already 3 years old usually produces up to 5 shoots from one bush. In subsequent years, this figure reaches 15 asparagus sprouts. At the same time, 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 development.
Post-Harvest Care
Growing asparagus requires proper post-harvest care. At this time, you need to pay a lot of attention to the plant. This will depend on next year's harvest. Humus is poured into the aisles after the completion of the assembly process. Hisdeepen into the ground 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 should be carried out after watering or rain. Such simple actions will help to get a bountiful harvest of asparagus. For an average family, it is enough to grow up to 20 bushes of this plant on a plot.
Having considered the features and recommendations for growing asparagus, you can get a good harvest of the crop in the third year of its growth. This he althy, tasty plant will delight its owners for many years.
