No other early spring vegetable has as much food value as asparagus. Plant a stand in your garden, and enjoy years of good, nutritious eating.
Far too few home gardeners grow asparagus in their gardens. Perhaps they are unaware of the food value contained in this early vegetable.
Benefits Of Asparagus
One cup of green asparagus provides as many as 200 units of vitamin A, 116 units of vitamin B, and 1,600 units of vitamin G.
This is far more than that found in one cup of the more common vegetables, such as beets, carrots, and cucumbers.
The vitamin G in one cup of asparagus is far greater than that in half of a large grapefruit or a tall glass of pineapple juice.
So you can see how asparagus helps your body build up resistance against disease.
A Robust Perennial
Asparagus, because it is such a robust perennial, bearing spears once a year for 15 to 20 years saves the gardener considerable time and money —time because it needs to be planted only once and money because once planted, no more expense is involved.
That is unless the gardener wishes to fertilize and side-dress for a bigger and better crop.
Where Asparagus Can Be Grown
Asparagus can be grown successfully in all parts of the United States but does especially well in the Midwestern and Plains states.
The winters here stop the growth of asparagus, giving it that needed rest period to store up food and energy for next year’s growth.
Without this needed rest, asparagus becomes less vigorous and more spindling as the years go by.
Grows in Different Kinds of Soil
Asparagus will grow well in many different kinds of soil, provided each is well-drained, loose, and porous. The hungry roots reach far and wide in search of food and moisture.
The soil in most gardens is excellent for asparagus culture, for it usually contains organic material, which these plants love.
But care should be taken not to plant them in the poorest section of the garden. Asparagus will not thrive in sandy soil with a porous subsoil that does not retain moisture or in soil with an impenetrable hardpan that interferes with good drainage and growth.
Mary Washington
For best results, plant the strain known as ‘Mary Washington.’ It is a wonderful yielder with thick, green spears.
It also is completely resistant to rust, a disease that can wipe out an entire planting in one season.
This variety may be grown from seeds for larger plantings. But for the home garden, it is best to purchase 1-year-old plants.
When buying, remember that 20 to 25 plants are needed for every family member.
These will produce enough spears for eating right out of the garden and for canning and freezing.
Purchase For Small Plantings
Because they have an excess of 3-year-old plants on hand, many growers like to urge buyers to purchase these for small plantings.
The truth is that very few of these older plants catch on when planted. Some may produce sooner, but the majority often take as long as 1 or 2-year-olds to send decent spears.
So, a gardener is better off buying 1-year-old plants. His stand will be healthier, and his expenses will be less.
The extra year he waits for good spears will pay off in bigger and heavier yields. Buy from a reliable nurseryman who guarantees variety.
When To Plant
Asparagus plants, or crowns as they are called, may be set out as early in spring as the ground can be worked.
It is best to plant in the far South in late fall or early winter for good stands, for heavy rains often prevent early enough planting in spring.
Locate the bed on either end of the garden, along the fence, or in some fertile corner. Work the soil deeply by plowing, spading, or rototilling.
After Soil Preparation
After the soil has been prepared, open the furrows with a shovel, the depth depending upon the type of soil. The sandier the soil, the deeper must be the furrows.
The richer the soil, the more shallow the furrow. The trench may be 5” or 6” inches deep in gardens where the soil is reasonably rich. Make each trench 18” inches wide to provide plenty of room for the long roots.
It is worth one’s time and effort to apply at least 3” inches of aged barnyard manure, compost, leaf mold, or rich timber topsoil beneath the roots.
Before Setting the Plants
Before setting the plants, work the material into the soil. When all is mixed well, make 6”-inch high mounds with your hands, 18” inches apart in each furrow.
Set one plant upon each mound of earth, and spread out the roots evenly in all directions. The crown should be firmly pressed into the mound’s very top for anchorage.
Cover each plant lightly as soon as it has been set to prevent drying out. When all plants have been planted, fill in each furrow to about 2” inches above the crowns.
Firm the soil gently with the foot, not breaking off any buds that have formed on the crowns.
Method Of Cultivation
The distance between rows depends upon the method of cultivation to be followed.
If the gardener intends to cultivate with a team or tractor, the rows should be placed 6′ to 8′ feet apart.
Hand Cultivation
If hand cultivation is to be practiced, the rows may be as close as 2′ feet.
As soon as the plants have been covered, flood each furrow with water. If the weather turns especially dry, water well once a week until the rains come.
As the plants grow, the trench may gradually be refilled with earth. When all plants are around 2′ feet high, level the soil, then mulch heavily with at least 8” inches of old hay, grass clippings, straw, or peanut shells.
Ground corn cobs and wood shavings are also good. Some gardeners prefer to leave the space between rows bare, hoeing when necessary to keep down weeds.
Mulching: Better for Plants
Mulching is far better for plants. Do so if possible, as it helps keep the soil porous, retains moisture, and feeds the plants every time it rains.
It will also cut down on labor. Any asparagus patch that is heavily mulched will require no more work for the season.
Fertilization
Under ordinary circumstances, if plenty of plant food was applied to the base of the trench before planting, little or no fertilizer is needed for several years.
But if one wants exceptionally large yields, a side dressing of nitrate soda may be used, one handful to each plant. This should be scattered before the mulch is laid.
The next spring, a 5-8-7 (five percent nitrogen, eight percent phosphoric acid, and seven percent potash) or a 5-10-5 fertilizer may be purchased to give the plants an added boost.
Application of Fertilizer
Apply half the needed amount before the plants start to grow. The other half should be given after harvest.
If your soil is rich, use only a top dressing of aged cow manure placed beneath the mulch in sizable clumps.
If this practice is followed after harvest each spring, no other fertilizer will be necessary, and the yields will be good.
Harvesting Cuttings
Usually, no spears are cut from plants in the first year. All top growth is needed to help develop a sound root system.
The second year allows two or three spears to develop into top growth immediately, while all other spheres are cut for 6 weeks.
After that, allow all spears to develop into top growth. In the third year, all spears are harvested for the length of the asparagus season.
Snapping Soil Level
Rely on upon and snap them off at the soil level. This is the best method since no knife injury will occur to young shoots beneath the soil.
If you must use a knife, push it into the soil for an inch or two, right down the spear’s side to be cut, then twist the knife slightly to sever the shoot.
Blind Cuttings
Blind cutting beneath the soil can seriously damage young shoots. This, in turn, results in unsightly and crooked spears.
Cut asparagus at dawn for maximum freshness. If the weather is very hot and rainy, harvest twice a day, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon.
When proper conditions exist, asparagus spears grow rapidly. They will bolt into fern-like growths in hours if not cut in time.
Immediately after harvesting, refrigerate, can, or freeze the spears to preserve food value.
Selling The Asparagus
If you plan to sell them, tie in equal bundles of about 25 spears each.
Cut the stems off evenly, then place the bottoms down in shallow trays of water to preserve freshness until sold.
Do not allow spears to wilt, for much food value is lost this way.
44659 by Betty Brinhart