The best way to succeed is to plan before you plant. So you’re interested in growing vegetables and/or root crops; do you know where you want to plant which varieties? Learn all you can about each plant’s needs, taking into consideration the following:
An area with good sunlight, usually between 6-8 hours a day, is recommended for vegetables and root crops. Some leafy vegetables like lettuce will do well in shadier areas. Check out the specific requirements for the varieties you want to grow. Well-drained and fertile soil are also necessary components for a good planting location. If your soil needs amending, take this task head on before you decide to plant.
When marking out your garden bed, be sure to consider the probability that after a few crops of your own homegrown edibles, you’ll want to plant more. Especially if you have an excellent growing location at your fingertips, it’s better to start with a smaller area and leave room for expansion. You’ll thank yourself later!
Few things are as delicious as homegrown asparagus, and the success of your harvest begins right with the planting site and method. For maximum growth and yields later on, give your plants the best foundation possible.
Before you plant, check your soil pH. Contact your local County Extension Office for information about soil testing in your area, or purchase one of our digital meters for quick and accurate results. Ideally, your asparagus needs a soil pH between 6.5-7.0.
Preparing your soil before you plant will greatly improve your plant’s performance and promote healthy, vigorous growth. It is a good idea to have your soil tested to determine if it is lacking in any essential minerals and nutrients. This can be done through your County Extension Office or with one of our digital meters.
The goal of soil preparation is to replenish vital minerals and nutrients, as well as break up and loosen any compacted soil.
Soil preparation can be done at any time that the ground is not too wet or frozen. Your plants may be planted even when temperatures are quite cool. If a hard frost is expected, it is advisable to delay planting for a while until temperatures become more moderate. Generally, as long as your soil is workable, it is fine to plant.
Your lawn can provide you with ideal organic materials such as grass clippings and shredded leaves. Not only will the grass and leaves break down to provide soil nutrients, but they will help loosen the soil as well. You can gather these in the fall with spring planting in mind.
Adding organic materials, such as our Coco-Fiber Potting Medium and compost will improve most every soil type. Organic materials bind sandy soil particles so they retain moisture and nutrients better. They also break apart clay and silt particles, so that water can infiltrate and roots can spread.
Fertilizing is an excellent way to replenish the natural nutrients in your plant’s soil. For asparagus, have your soil tested to determine phosphorus and potassium needs. Asparagus usually likes a balanced fertilizer of 5-10-10 or 8-24-24.
The first 3 years in spring, apply a well-balanced fertilizer. Starting the fourth year, delay application until June or July (immediately after harvest). This approach encourages vigorous growth of the “fern,” which produces and stores nutrients in the roots for next year’s production season.
Every plant has the future potential for disease and insect damage. Factors such as location and weather will play a part in which issues your plants encounters. If available, disease-resistant varieties are the best option for easy care; and for all types of plants, proper maintenance (such as watering, pruning, spraying, weeding, and cleanup) can help keep most insects and diseases at bay.
Appear as soft water-soaked lesions on shoots and at soil line, or slightly above or below. Lesions elongate rapidly and become light brown. As lesion collapses and shrivels affected side of spear becomes flattened and shoot becomes extremely curved and may collapse. Infected crowns have yellow-orange colored tissue. Caused by over harvesting, growing in acidic soil and water logged soils. This is a soil borne fungus.
Infected mature plants decline in productivity and growth. During summer months stunted, light yellow ferns characterize infected plants. Reddish-brown discoloration at base of infected stalks, and may extend into crown. Feeder roots may rot off completely, or may show reddish-brown color. Fungus lives in the soil.
Appear as elliptical, slightly sunken lesions .03 - .06” across and 0.125” long. Reddish-purple later develops a tan-brown center, especially if the lesion is large. Usually appear on lower half of new spears and are very superficial. Internal tissue of spear is not affected. Purple Spot is worse following cool, wet weather when spears are emerging. Subsides in dry weather.
Infection begins in spring and produces orange stage of disease and is occasionally found on new spears as yellow or pale orange pustules in concentric ring pattern. Spores are airborne to new fern growth where brick red pustules are formed on all parts of the fern. Ferns may turn yellow or brown, defoliate and die back. In fall the spores turn black and will over winter. Rust causes reduced plant vigor and reduced yields.
When plant is infected with either but only one of the virus plant vigor may be only slightly reduced. When both are present in same plant, survival and vigor severely reduced especially in young plants and aphids transmit both. Virus II can also be transmitted by pollen and is more prevalent in older cultivars.
Larvae appear as smooth skinned caterpillars to the naked eye. Frequently roll into a C-shape when disturbed. Variegated is yellow to brown, little over an inch long with 4-6 yellow or pink diamond-shaped spots down its back. Dark sided cutworm somewhat larger, gray to greenish gray with irregular longitudinal stripes. Larvae feed at night on tender tips of new spears, eating out small areas and one-sided feeding may cause spears to curl. Variegate also feeds underground and at soil surface. Ferns seldom damaged.
Small blue to gray-green aphid often covered with a powdery wax. Hard to spot until damage has occurred. Damage is primarily from toxin that is injected into plant during feeding. Causes shortened internodes on subsequent growth resulting in tufted appearance. Heavy populations also leave large amounts of honeydew leading to ant activity. Shortens life of plant and cause delay in bud break in spring followed by profusion of small spears produced simultaneously.
Slender, white arthropod, closely related to an insect, about 1/3” long, fast moving, lives in soil with high organic matter. Cause damage by eating small round holes in roots, crowns and below ground portion of spears.
Small slender sucking insects and adults have 2 pair of wings. Thrips remove moisture from crop fern causing twisting of the fern branch lets as well as some twisting of the stalks. Results in loss of vigor and even death of the tops of small seedlings.
Beetle is about 1/4” long, metallic blue-black with red and white markings. Spotted beetle is bright reddish-orange with small black dots. Adult over-winters in trash around garden. When spears emerge, adults feed on spears and deposit brown-black ugly eggs on the spears that are impossible to wash off. Then dark gray larvae and adults feed on shoots and ferns causing partial defoliation and scarring. Spotted beetle larvae feed on seeds of asparagus berries and cause minimal damage.
Yellow-brown winged insect may have black spot or red stripes. Injects toxins into buds and shoots, causing dwarfed shoots. Treat ferns or bush growth after spear harvest when insects are present.
Adult is metallic green beetle. Feeds on ferns. Treat ferns or bush growth after spear harvest when insects are present.
Pinpoint size, many different colors. Found on undersides of leaves. Sap feeding causes bronzing of leaves. Severe infestations have some silken webbing.
Adults are tiny, white winged insects found mainly on the underside of leaves. Nymph emerge as white, flat, oval shapes. Larvae are the size of a pinhead. Suck plant juices from leaves causing leaves to turn yellow, appear to dry or fall off plants.
Small oval insects, color range from pale green to reddish brown or black. Feed by sucking sap, signs of infection discoloration, deformed shoot and stems, curling of leaves and lesions.
Pruning is an important part of proper edible plant care, and in the case of asparagus, it’s particularly easy to do. Asparagus foliage that forms after harvest is strengthening the crown and root system for next year’s crop, so you’ll want to prune in late fall or early winter.