So that you can harvest your asparagus after a long cultivation period, a lot of care is necessary. This guide will tell you exactly what you need to do.
Asparagus can also be grown in your own garden - if you put in the time and love! Although the cultivation is not as complicated as is generally assumed, white asparagus takes several years to be ready for harvest. Some maintenance measures are necessary during this time.
White asparagus is a perennial vegetable. However, before the harvest can finally take place, a number of measures are necessary. This also explains the high price that we have to pay per kilogram.
How white asparagus grows
- In autumn before sowing: Prepare the soil well! That means you have to dig at least two spades deep.
- The following spring dig a ditch measuring 40 centimeters deep and 50 centimeters wide. At a distance of about 40 to 50 centimeters, create small piles in which to place the young asparagus plants. Pile up soil around the young plants. Leave the other excavated earth, you will need it next year. In autumn, cut off the green asparagus.
- In the second year in spring remove the withered parts and pile up soil again. Prune the green asparagus that grows through the summer again in the fall.
- In the third year the first asparagus shoots form. Now pile up more soil to a height of about 30 to 40 centimeters. The asparagus ripens from April to June 24th. As soon as the peaks break through, protection from the light with dark foil or further accumulation is important. In the years that follow, the plants bear fruit several times. With good care, asparagus plants can be used for up to ten years.
How to properly care for white asparagus
It is best to remove weeds regularly. The plants also need water regularly - rainwater is ideal. For a good supply of nutrients, the young plants receive well-rotted compost in the spring of the second year, which you loosely work into the area around the plants.
In the first two years, cut the green asparagus in autumn and remove them in springlast withered parts.
Carefully laid mounds of earth around the plants ensure protected growth. You can use the excavation for this. A slightly sandy, loose and well-drained substrate is ideal. If in doubt, improve the soil with some sand. Gravel or even stones must not be included. In practice, the asparagus bed looks like this: The heaps are lined up and form a kind of earth wall.
White asparagus: watering and fertilizing
Asparagus plants need water regularly, they must always be kept slightly moist. However, waterlogging must not form, which is why careful soil preparation is particularly important. From spring to late summer, feed the plants with a fertilizer containing potash about every six weeks.
Foil use - pros and cons
In commercial cultivation, the use of foil is now common, so that the asparagus gets a uniformly warm climate to grow. Under the film, however, the risk of plant diseases increases. The asparagus film is suitable for private cultivation if you want to easily protect the sprouts from light until harvest. Asparagus still tastes good when the tips are discolored by the sunlight, but the look is also important. If you want an all-natural grow, dig in the soil regularly, even during the ripening period.
Caring for asparagus: The most important tips at a glance
✓ Remove withered parts in spring, trim asparagus greens in autumn.
✓ Always keep the soil moist, fertilize several times in summer.
✓ Pile up soil around the plants.