Asparagus is a plant grown mostly in the spring season and is also one of the few perennial vegetables that are grown in the garden. Like any other plant, asparagus do need the sun to thrive. If you don’t take proper care of asparagus then they will not survive for a long time.
Proper sunlight and adequate temperature are the things to be kept in mind while planting asparagus. As sunlight helps them in the process of photosynthesis it is very much needed for them. There is a normal or adequate temperature for asparagus is 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit after the sun goes down.
A rise in temperature of about 50 degrees is needed for the new shoots to sprout. The higher temperature gives higher growth in plants. They can be outdoor and indoor plants as well. As long as the temperature is under control nothing will affect the seed germination no matter whatever the location is, outside or inside.
The asparagus plant needs direct sunlight to survive. The sunlight can be full exposure to partial. Like other plants, they turn yellow when they are exposed too much to the sun. They need at most eight hours of sunlight in the morning time for photosynthesis.
How Do You Plant Asparagus in Your Garden?
Asparagus is a very delicate and sensitive plant that needs a lot of patience and preparation. They are spacious plants and should be planted twelve to eighteen inches apart. They won’t grow much in the first couple of years but as they settle they spread and fill in quickly. Most people grow asparagus from the crown which is almost available every spring season.
The common way of growing asparagus crown is a trench. A twelve-inch deep and twelve-inch wide trench in spring is the easiest way to grow asparagus. Add your compost or fertilizer or any organic matter to it and create mounds about eighteen inches apart.
Place the crown on the soil and cover the crown with the soil. Water them as required and when the shoots start to show up add more soil to them. Fill up the trench with soil until it’s totally full and flush with the soil line.
Remove the weeds from the plant when they outgrow themselves while preparing the bed and keep doing it till the asparagus plants are young and tender. Never try to add any other plant to the asparagus plant bed as they don’t like competition for nutrients.
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Does Asparagus Need Full Sunlight?
Yes, actually the asparagus needs full sunlight when it is not a hot climate area. The right amount of direct sunlight is good for the growth of the plant. As every plant needs sunlight as part of its photosynthesis asparagus needs it too but not much. So, sunlight in a proper amount or for a certain period of time like eight hours a day in the morning is needed for them.
A hot climate or hot temperature is not good for them and eventually, they will be dead. Sunlight is needed by everyone on this planet and the plants need it the most. Their food and survival depend upon the sunlight.
A correct place inside or outside of the house will give them enough sunlight for their survival. In fact, plants which are kept outside are much more fruitful than the plants which are kept in shade. Shade is important and needed when the climate gets hot and unbearable.
Full sun is actually the ideal thing for the asparagus plant. Tall trees or shrubs block the sun from them will reduce their growth and production. Giving them the appropriate amount of sunlight will nurture them into a healthy and fruitful plants.
Growing asparagus is a very nice thing for your garden. They will produce for many years and will give you the result. They need lots of patience and care from you but after that, they will give you the fruit you need. They are well-established plants and can be outside and inside plants. They can also be grown in full sunlight as well as in partial shade.
Growing your own vegetables also gives you a feeling of full illness and is also fresh from your own garden without any harmful chemicals. So, do grow your own asparagus in your home garden!
How Can You Care for an Asparagus Plant?
Light or sunlight
Asparagus plants grow to the fullest in the presence of sunlight. With proper sunlight, the asparagus plant will thrive to the fullest and grows without any plant diseases.
Soil
Asparagus plants need proper soil which drains water well and which has a neutral pH level which is in the 6.5 to 7 range. The soil needs full preparation and needs plenty of organic matter. Try to get rid of any weeds and large stones from the soil before planting.
Water
Watering plants is a crucial step because too much water can rot the plant. Sitting water is never good for the plant and it should be drained properly. When the asparagus plant is young and tender it needs watering regularly. A good start while planting will give you fewer problems in the future. For a better water system add a drip irrigation system or a soaker hose to the asparagus bed.
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Temperature and humidity
In the growing season, the preferred temperature is seventy to eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit during the day and sixty to seventy degrees at night. The shoots will be discolored because of the frost on the plant. There will be slow growth of the asparagus when the temperature is above eighty-sixed and below fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit.
Fertilizer or organic matter
The compost and organic matter are added to the trench in the asparagus bed for better growth and better production. Rock phosphate a natural mineral powder promotes root growth. These natural nutrients help the asparagus plant to develop a good and strong root system.
To make the soil rich in nutrients and help the plants to feed for themselves compost is added to the plant bed annually. This can be done in the early spring before the shoots appear or in the fall after the fronds have died and when they are cut down to the ground.
They should also be fed with these nutrients to the soil in the mid-spring when they are actively growing.
Keeping in shade for longer than the required time or when you ignore the rising temperature which is beyond eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit will lead to problems such as:
1. Unprocessed, premature shoots
2. Thinner and deformed spears
3. Reduced germination of its seeds
4. Diminished growth of crown, with less or no outcome.
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Harvesting of the asparagus plant
The harvesting of the asparagus plant is not done till the third year of the harvesting after they are planted. They need time to be settled and established with their root systems. When you need a healthy and well-established asparagus plant you will need a lot of patience.
Harvesting can be done in the third year of growth. The plants are not fully matured so harvest them for two weeks and let them grow again in an undisturbed manner.
In the fourth year snap it with spears or with a knife just above the soil line. Be very careful while cutting them with a knife. The harvest can also be extended to three weeks more.
In the fifth year, harvest around the fourth or fifth week. During this period the shoots have emerged from the soil because of the spring season. These plants can grow and produce up to twenty to thirty years and be divided and transplanted if they become crowded over the current place.
Before the new growth of the plants, they need to be cut to the ground every year. The option is up to you whether you want to remove the stalks in fall or winter after the leaves have turned yellow and have died naturally.
The early stalks removal gives you the advantage of preventing pests like asparagus beetles. When the stalks are left in the winter they have the advantage of plant debris which holds the snow and protects the asparagus crown from the freezing temperature.
Whatever the situation the dead stalks must be removed in the spring before the new growth starts.
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How Much Shade is Needed for the Asparagus Plant?
Asparagus do need partial shade to grow as full exposure and so much heat can damage the plant which will eventually lead to its death of the plant. Shade is also necessary as it gives coolness to the plants when there is the scorching heat.
Hot summers can damage many crops and asparagus is not a different one. They are perennial so they need extra care from us. You have to be very careful about the sunlight as it will destroy the crop which has taken so much of your time and patience.
In hot weather keeping the asparagus plant in shade gives them coolness and protection from the sunlight which is sometimes not very necessary for them. Nothing as an overdose is good for the plant. This plant can be grown in full shade and no sunlight but it will be less fruitful than the plant which is kept in the sunlight.
Can asparagus grow in partial shade?
As mentioned just above in this article that asparagus plants can be grown in partial shade as in some parts of the country there is just too much heat for the plant to sustain. The hot climate is not very suitable for this plant as they also need to cool themselves from the heat.
The partial shade which has half sunlight and half shade in it is good for the plant. The heat will be less so that the heat will not bother them much. Partial shade gives them the right amount of sunlight on bright and hot sunny days. They can have shade and light both for their survival.
To grow the plant in the partial shade you need to do certain things for the plant. Find a place that has less sunlight. Mostly when plants are kept indoors they receive less sunlight and more shade. So, find a corner in your house where the sunlight reaches less and has shade that will cool it off.
The soil in the plant should be well-drained. As the plant is in less sunlight the chances of water getting vaporized is less so, well-drained soil will keep the plant fresh and will not rot the roots or leaves.
Water the plant only if you feel the soil is dry. When the soil is dry from the above, then it will need water. Sitting water is never good for the plants and with less sunlight the water will stay for a longer period of time which will destroy the plant.