Asparagus Cultivation

1910

How to Make a Bed of the Edible Young Shoots

Asparagus is a perennial herb cultivated for its edible young shoots. It is a rugged plant and will thrive under adverse conditions, but to obtain the succulent stalks needed for culinary purposes well drained, rich soil is absolutely necessary. The soil should be well mixed with rotted manures containing much nitrogen and potash.

Prepare the bed by plowing or spading deeply, beginning the work early and looking after the drainage problem carefully. Plants at least one year old should be obtained for this bed. They can be raised from seed, which is sown outdoors in April in drills one foot apart, the seed being covered about one-half inch. Plants suitable for transplanting the following spring may be easily grown this way, or roots may be obtained from one to three years old.

Set the plants in the permanent bed in furrows eighteen inches apart, the plants being the same distance apart in each furrow. Be careful to spread the roots out naturally and set each plant on a little mound of earth in the furrow. Cover at first to a depth of a few inches, gradually filling in as the season advances. In the fall cut back all the stocks to a level with the ground for the winter.

In the second year loosen the soil by shallow spading. When the first shoots appear the rows may be hilled up somewhat. Cut sparingly until the third year, as the plants will be more productive afterward.