You think planting asparagus in your own garden isn't worth it? Growing and caring for asparagus is complex. You can harvest fresh asparagus from your own bed for up to ten years.
How can you grow asparagus in your own garden?
To successfully grow asparagus in your home garden, choose a sunny location, prepare nutrient-rich soil, plant asparagus carefully in rows, build a mound of soil for white asparagus, harvest from the third year onwards and check regularly the plants for pests and nutrient supply.
Requirements for growing asparagus in the garden
If you want to plant asparagus yourself, you need space. This applies to green and white asparagus.
Growing asparagus is labor-intensive. If you don't have much time, plant the undemanding, easy-care green asparagus.
The right location
Asparagus loves a sunny location. The asparagus bed should always run from north to south. This means that all plants receive the same amount of sunlight.
White asparagus requires sandy, well-drained soil. Green asparagus also copes well with loamy soils.
Bedding preparation – the be-all and end-all of growing asparagus
The final asparagus bed must be thoroughly prepared. In the previous year, green manure helps to improve the soil.
The soil is enriched with plenty of mature compost or mature stable manure. To do this, rows 40 centimeters deep are dug every 80 centimeters apart. The fertilizer material is spread in thick layers and covered with soil. The roots of the asparagus must not come into contact with the fertilizer.
Planting asparagus
The asparagus plants grown from seeds or purchased have formed a spider-like root system. The roots are spread out on the ground. Place the plants at least 40 centimeters apart in the soil so deep that the plant is completely covered by soil.
The wall that is necessary for white asparagus is only piled up over the rows in the second year of planting. To do this, good potting soil up to 30 centimeters high is applied and tapped well.
No wall is necessary for asparagus varieties that grow above ground.
Caring for asparagus
Asparagus beds must be kept weed-free and fertilized regularly. Watering is not necessary because the asparagus stores enough moisture under the mound.
Harvesting
Asparagus is not harvested in the first two years. At most, you may plant one stalk of asparagus per plant in the second year. From the third year onwards, the harvest period lasts from mid-April to June 24th, depending on the weather.
Care after the asparagus season
After the asparagus season, remove the weeds. Fertilizer needs to be given once or twice.
The asparagus herb must be checked regularly for pests. Asparagus beetles are collected. Mildew and other fungal diseases can also occur.
In autumn, the asparagus leaves are cut off just above the ground and disposed of. To keep pests away, the herb should not be put on the compost heap.
How to grow asparagus successfully
- Choose a good location
- Create nutrient-rich soil
- Insert plants carefully
- Laying up an earth wall
- Harvest regularly from the third year onwards
- Fertilize regularly and check for pests
Tips & Tricks
When buying seeds or plants, look for robust asparagus varieties. They survive pest infestations more easily and are resistant to mildew.
