Asparagus (another name - asparagus) is a perennial plant from the family of Astrov. With proper cultivation in one place, it can be grown up to twenty-five years. She does not need a transplant. Stems of asparagus can reach a height of two meters. We have it not widely distributed, but some gardeners grow it on their plot to get young shoots. Thanks to the useful amino acids and vitamins contained in it, you should include asparagus in the diet of people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidney disease, gout , rheumatism.
Asparagus: planting, rearing and care
To collect a rich harvest, you need to know how to grow asparagus correctly.
Asparagus can be planted on the sunny side of the site. The main thing is that it is protected from the wind. If the asparagus is constantly under the influence of the wind, then eventually the roots of it may begin to rot. To prevent this from being tied to the supports.
Asparagus is quite demanding on the composition of the soil. In autumn it is necessary to make manure, in the spring - compost. Before planting asparagus soil is fertilized with superphosphate or potassium salt. If the soil is excessively acidic, then it is limed. We also need to weed out the weeds.
The plant should be watered regularly and monitor the level of soil moisture.
Cultivation of asparagus comes from seedlings.
To seed quickly sprouted before sowing, they can be soaked in water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate and leave so to insist for three days. The temperature of the liquid must be at least 30 degrees. Then the seeds are dried and sown in moist soil.
Planting of asparagus in the open ground is carried out in April-May.
Furrows need to be half filled with manure mixed with foliage, turf foliage. At the bottom of the furrow gardeners put humus, which is mixed with superphosphate and ash. Then the soil is loosened.
In the prepared soil plant the seeds to a depth of not more than 4 cm. It is important to observe the distance between the seeds: it should be more than 3 cm.
During the summer period it is necessary to constantly hone, water and feed asparagus with mineral or organic fertilizers. It is important to remove fruits in time and not let them fall to the ground.
With the onset of autumn, the asparagus stems may begin to turn yellow, so they must be cut at a height of not less than two centimeters above the ground. After this, it is necessary to mulch the soil with crushed bark, sheet humus or wood chips. Such manipulations will protect the root system from overheating in summer, in winter - from freezing. Also mulch is able to protect the plant from pest attack.
Before the onset of frost, the plant is covered with rotten manure or compost.
Harvest will appear only in the third year of planting. When the heads are not yet bloomed, you can start harvesting. At the same time, at least four weeks must pass from the beginning of fruiting. Collection is done manually, cutting the base with a special knife for
Care for the asparagus in the spring is to make complex fertilizers and create an earth ridge over the bed.
With proper care and observance of all conditions of agricultural technology, asparagus is able to please you with its harvest after 3-4 years. Being a frost-resistant and high-yielding plant, recently more and more gardeners are trying to plant it on their plot. Simplicity of care of it allows successfully to grow asparagus even to beginners.