How to grow asparagus with seeds, cuttings and cuttings
Asparagus is not yet as popular among gardeners as, say, potatoes, cabbage or tomatoes. However, every year it finds more and more admirers, because this culture is perennial and persistent. If you know how to grow asparagus, the plant will not cause trouble, but it will delight you with delicious juicy shoots.
You can get hold of asparagus in your beds, as the plant is also called, in several ways:
- seed;
- dividing the bush;
- by cuttings.
Features of seed growing
Have asparagus rather large seeds, although they germinate reluctantly and for a long time. But in this way you can get a lot of planting material at once. True, the harvest will have to wait 3-4 years. Seeds are sown both for seedlings and immediately on the garden. Planting times differ depending on the method.
The seeds must be germinated before sowing.
Sowing seeds in open ground
Asparagus can only be sown on open beds until May. Young seedlings are very sensitive to frost and will die if sown earlier. The grooves should be shallow - up to 2 cm, with a row spacing of about 20 cm. Sprouted seeds are laid out in moistened grooves, leaving at least 5 cm between them. Sprinkle with a thin layer of earth on top and mulch.
For the first time, the beds are covered with a film. Asparagus needs additional shelter for the winter.
They begin to thin out the crops next spring. Weak plants are cut out.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
You can start growing asparagus seedlings earlier, in March. It is better to sow directly into separate containers, for example, in cassettes. Seeds germinate in warmth (30 degrees), then the temperature is lowered to 24 degrees. Every two weeks, the seedlings are fed with a mineral complex, and planted in the ground at the beginning of summer.
When can you divide a bush to get planting material?
If your neighbors grow asparagus, you can ask them for seedlings. The bushes that have grown from them will delight with the harvest next year. Divide only an adult bush, which is at least 4 years old. This can be done in the spring, when the asparagus is just beginning to emerge, or in the fall, after the bush turns yellow. When planting seedlings, leave at least 40 cm between them, and at least 2 m between the rows.
When planting parcels in the spring, holes are made around them to make it easier to water. When planting in winter, on the contrary, a mound is poured around each seedling to protect it.
How to grow asparagus from cuttings?
Last year's asparagus shoots are quite suitable for use as cuttings. They are cut in the second half of spring, but not later than the end of May, and rooted in the sand, under a hood. A month later, when the roots are formed, the cuttings are planted for growing in pots.
Video about the features of growing asparagus