What Is The Best Fertilizer For Asparagus?

Asparagus can be fertilized in early spring before the spears emerge. An application of 1 to 1.5 pounds of an all-purpose garden fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, per 100 square feet should be adequate. Asparagus can also be fertilized after the last harvest in June. Using a nitrogen fertilizer, apply .

How do you make asparagus grow better?

Choose a fertile, sunny, well-drained site with soil that holds moisture well. Late spring frosts can kill emerged spears, so find an area that is not low-lying or exposed to frost. Asparagus plants have deep root systems. Avoid areas with shallow soils, or soils prone to water-saturation.

What is the best organic fertilizer for asparagus?

Asparagus loves phosphorus. Composted manure, bone meal and rock phosphate are all good amendments to keep soil levels high in this nutrient.

How often should you fertilize asparagus?

You’ll need to do that around late spring after your last harvest or in early summer. Also, it would be best to increase the nitrogen component of the fertilizer. So, you could switch to a 5-10-5 fertilizer composition in favor of nitrogen.

What do you feed asparagus in the spring?

Feeding. In early spring, apply 100g per sq m (3oz per sq yd) of general fertiliser such as Growmore, or blood, fish and bone. If growth is weak, repeat this application once harvesting has finished.

Are coffee grounds good for asparagus?

* Coffee grounds alone would be too acidic, but if you’re mixing them in with other kitchen waste and especially yard waste like leaves, they’re fine. Asparagus prefers a soil pH between 6.5 and 7, which is mildly acidic. Coffee grounds can run 5 or less on the pH scale by themselves.

Is cow manure good for asparagus?

If your soil is not rich and loamy, add about two inches of well-rotted manure or good aged compost. Or buy a bag of sheep manure from your nursery. Cow manure will do, but sheep manure has more nitrogen and nutrients.

What’s the best mulch for asparagus?

Straw, pine needles, pine shavings or bark mulch work well as mulch choices. Avoid using dyed mulches (black or red). Avoid using synthetic mulches like black plastic or landscape fabric.

Should you put salt on asparagus plants?

Asparagus plants will thrive in soil with high salt content, unlike many garden vegetables. It does not need salt to grow, however. Putting salt on asparagus plants can damage the plants and reduce the yield.

What do you put on asparagus beds?

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium may need to be supplemented when planting a new asparagus crop. Organic matter can be built up in the soil by cover crops, manure and compost. Annual fertilization can help retain plant vigor for established plants.

Should I put lime on my asparagus?

Lime for asparagus: Among the list of common garden vegetables, asparagus is probably the one that loves lime the most. Lime for asparagus is necessary to give the plant the ‘sweet’ alkaline soil it craves. Asparagus only needs a slightly alkaline soil, but it can tolerate soil pH up to 8.0.

How do you rejuvenate an asparagus bed?

Use an organic fertilizer in the early spring, before spears begin to emerge, to give plants a boost. Apply nitrogen after harvesting is finished to encourage foliage growth. You can also fill in the gaps between old plants with some young, fresh roots. You will end up with a nice, solid bed in a few years.

How do you grow asparagus thicker?

In order to grow thicker asparagus, you will need to cultivate the older stems and encourage them to age and grow bigger than their slim counterparts. Another good tip for strong, healthy, fat stems is to ensure that the plant is getting enough nutrients.

How often should asparagus be watered?

Asparagus needs regular watering, especially while young; give it 1 to 2 inches of water per week during its first two growing seasons; give older plants about 1 inch per week.

When should I cut back my asparagus plants?

Ideally, asparagus should be cut back in the fall but it is important that you wait until all of the foliage has died back and turned brown or yellow. This will normally happen after the first frost, but it can happen without frost in areas that do not receive frost.

What can you spray asparagus with to control weeds?

Asparagus growers have several choices of herbicides for control of emerged weeds. The synthetic auxin herbicides 2,4-D (Formula 40, Embed Extra) and dicamba (Clarity) are effective against many broadleaf annuals and perennials. They also can injure asparagus plants if there is too much contact with spears or fern.

Is chicken manure good for asparagus?

Asparagus likes full sun and a well-drained, deep friable soil that has had lots of well-rotted animal manure added to it. I like to dig a small trench about 20cm wide and 20cm deep. I then 1/2 fill it with a mixture of compost, cow, sheep and chicken manure.

Should I cut down my asparagus in the fall?

Answer: The asparagus foliage can be cut back to the ground after it has been destroyed by cold temperatures in fall. However, it is generally recommended that the dead foliage be allowed to stand over winter.

What do asparagus plants need?

Site – Full sun is ideal. Asparagus needs at least 8 hours of sun per day. Since asparagus is a long-lived perennial, do not plant where trees or tall shrubs might eventually shade the plants or compete for nutrients and water.

How do you prepare an asparagus bed in the spring?

Here’s how to take care of your established asparagus bed in the early spring:

1. Cut down all the brown fern tops.
2. Weed and clean out debris.
3. Top the bed with a 1-2 inch layer of garden compost.
4. Optional: layer the compost with a weed suppressing mulch like straw, grass clippings, etc.

Should you cut asparagus that has gone to seed?

Comments for Asparagus Plants Have Gone to Seed
Don’t cut them back until autumn if you miss the cutting season, just let them grow. Click here to return to Asparagus Growing Questions.