Asparagus or asparagus is perennial, belonging to the asparagus family. Depending on the species, it can be a shrub or vine with a small fleshy root. It is found naturally in Europe, Asia, Australia, America and Africa.

Asparagus has openwork and wavy branches. The peculiarity of this plant is the abundance of small thin needles - phyllocladia, leaf-like stems instead of the usual leaves; they are soft and delicate to the touch.

Mature plants grow up to 40-50 cm in height. So as not to spoil decorative look plants, you need to provide high-quality care for it, as well as ensure sufficient space for its growth. For growing asparagus At home, a hanging pot is ideal.

Asparagus houseplant It grows quickly and blooms rarely, mainly in spring. Small white bell-shaped flowers are formed. Then red round fruits form in their place. Asparagus is easy to care for; there is no need to select special indicators of temperature, humidity, etc.

This plant has many species, about 300, among them there are indoor, garden and wild plants.

Plant care

To grow a plant you need good lighting. In the warm season +20 – +25, in the cold season not lower than +12 degrees, suitable temperature range.

In winter, watering should be reduced, but do not overdry the plant. From February, shoots begin to appear, thanks to this the plant is transformed: it becomes more magnificent and fresh. At this time, watering should be increased and spraying carried out.

The feeding process is carried out from early spring to late autumn once every 2 weeks. To do this, choose organic or mineral species fertilizers

Procedures for propagation and transplantation of asparagus

With quality care, the plant grows and develops well, so once a year it is carried out replanting asparagus into a larger container. If you do not replant in a timely manner, the pot may crack from the pressure of the overgrown root system. During the replanting process, the roots and branches of the plant are inspected, removing old and dried parts. After all the manipulations, the asparagus begins to grow well, and many shoots appear.

Asparagus is propagated by seeds, cuttings or root division. The most acceptable way is to sow seeds. Sowing is carried out from January to April in moist soil made of peat and sand. The room where the pot with seeds is located must have good humidity, ventilation and a temperature of about +20 degrees. Sprouts begin to appear after 3-4 weeks. Grown asparagus plants are planted in separate pots.

Asparagus is propagated by shoots in March. To do this, the prepared cuttings need to be planted in damp sand, where they should take root. This process may take 4-6 weeks. Then the rooted shoots are transplanted into separate pots.

If rejuvenation of an old plant is required, then it is more expedient to carry out the propagation process by dividing the rhizome. Old plants are propagated in March. Before propagation begins, all old shoots and branches are pruned. Then the root is divided into several parts, each of which is planted in moist soil. The pots are kept in a dark room for up to 4 weeks at a temperature of +15 degrees for complete rooting of the plant.

Diseases and pests of asparagus

Asparagus at good care little susceptible to diseases and pests. Pests such as aphids, scale insects, thrips and gray rot. Pest infestations usually manifest as yellowing and wilting of leaves. Growth and flowering slow down, and advanced cases can lead to the death of the entire plant. To protect asparagus from diseases and pest attacks, it is worth following the rules of care, as well as conducting regular inspections. At the first signs of the disease, you need to treat the plant with special chemicals or organic compounds and prune the affected parts of the plant.

Growing asparagus in open ground

Openwork branches garden asparagus are known to many because they are decorative element flower arrangements. Thanks to the addition of this plant, even the most modest bouquet takes on a rich and beautiful look.

Like indoor asparagus, garden asparagus is easy to care for. For it, you need to choose an open and sunny place, provide regular watering and light fertilizing with organic fertilizer. Having planted asparagus on my summer cottage, you can admire fresh greens for many years. Garden asparagus is a perennial plant that does not require any special care. So that the plant survives well winter cold, you should cut off all the branches and cover it, for example, with a layer of compost. Asparagus is not suitable for acidic conditions and darkness. Garden asparagus is propagated by dividing the bush or sowing seeds.

The most favorable conditions for propagating asparagus are sandy, non-acidic soils with the presence of peat and humus. Asparagus will develop well and acquire color in areas in the Moscow region where greenhouses and nurseries were previously located. Argentelian asparagus (or asparagus) is a cold-resistant crop, the plant has a greenish-yellow color, is resistant to sub-zero temperature V winter time, but spring frosts can have a bad effect on growth and yield. Growth activation continues in spring period, when the atmospheric front reaches a temperature of +10 0 C. By the second ten days of July, the plant is saturated with fruits. But these are not all the nuances you need to know for growing asparagus to be successful.

Growing by roots?

To grow asparagus on the site, it is necessary to prepare the site, remove piles of earth, and remove weeds from the soil.

Tip: The area to create holes for growing crops needs to be dug up and fertilizers must be applied: ammonium sulfate (15 g), potassium sulfate (30 g) and about 60 g of superphosphate.

If green beans are planted in the spring, the soil is fertilized with last year's humus. Planting in spring has the following features: asparagus roots are placed in a hole. It is necessary to plant in such a way that the edge of the hole is 5 cm higher than the bottom edge. This will allow you to easily care for plants and water them.

Planting in the fall is as follows: asparagus (growing before winter) requires special care for seedlings. Namely: the formation of a small mound over the roots of the plant, which will prevent freezing of the root system of the crop while growing it in the garden.

Propagation by seeds

Many people do not know how to grow asparagus from seeds. The main thing in growing crops is to observe simple rules: in early April, planting material is soaked for two days in a growth activator solution.

Tip: Seeds prepared for sowing and growing are added to loose soil mixed with peat and humus. The seeds are covered with a 1 cm layer of soil on top.

During the growth period, plants need care: they should be sprayed to avoid drying out. In order not to control the process of drying of the root system and leaves, the seedlings can be covered glass jars, so it will be preserved and will not lose color under the rays of the sun.

The seedlings hatch from the ground at an air temperature of +25 0 C. To prevent the sprouts under the glass from growing, they need care: they should be ventilated more often by lifting the jars.

Growing asparagus from seeds takes up to 6 weeks. If planting measures were carried out correctly, asparagus seedlings will appear in 1.5 months. Planting for a permanent bed for further growth is carried out at the end of June.

Sometimes the foliage and shoots of asparagus are affected by bugs. Due to lesions, the plant changes color and becomes brown. Plants require care: spray with pyrethrum or collect bugs in a bucket of water. If the plant is severely affected by pests or diseases, it should be torn from the garden bed and burned away from healthy plants.

Homemade propagation

If the question arises, how to grow asparagus in the country, then the answer you can hear is that best way propagation of green beans is the division of the bush. The process is best carried out during the transplantation period. Young shoots should be replanted annually, and mature seedlings every 10 years.

Propagation of asparagus in the garden is possible with the help of green buds, using them as cuttings. To grow asparagus at home, it is necessary to cut cuttings from mature plants from March to June and plant them in moist soil. In the future, they require care: they should be covered with plastic caps cut from bottles.

For normal growth in the Moscow region, asparagus seedlings require the following care: during the day the caps should be removed and the plants should be covered again in the evening.

Tip: Rooting of plants in a new place will occur in 1.5 months. After this time, the asparagus seedlings are picked and planted in containers of the appropriate size.

Winter asparagus

Asparagus is easy to cultivate both in summer and in winter period. Growing asparagus in winter and early spring in the garden is possible by using shoots from the adult roots of a plant that is 5-6 years old. In October, asparagus roots should be dug up and, closer to winter, put in the cellar, where the temperature remains stably between 0 and +2 °C.

At the beginning of December, the roots are planted in the garden in a greenhouse in pots tightly adjacent to each other; then they require care. The roots are covered with a layer of humus 20 cm high on top. As additional protection, the pots are covered with opaque polyethylene.

In the first week after planting, the plants require special care: the temperature in the greenhouse must be maintained at +10 0 C. During the period when the plants begin to root, the temperature must be increased to +18 0 C.

Tip: The temperature should remain constant throughout the asparagus harvest.

In the spring, asparagus seedlings are dug out of the greenhouse with a pitchfork, while the weak stems are calibrated. For further development and growth in the garden, seedlings must be healthy with the presence of 5-7 shoots with a dense stem and root, it is pleasant to have green color. After a month, it is necessary to check the sprouts, and plant new ones in place of those that have not taken root.

How to care?

Asparagus, planted at home, requires the following care: constant loosening, fertilizing and fertilizing. Watering is carried out moderately, a little, but often. When watering, you should pay attention to stagnant water, as the asparagus may disappear. However, dry soil also negatively affects the plant.

Loosening the soil is done after watering and removing weeds, but not less than 7-8 times per season. High yield of asparagus and pleasant greenish color depends on the degree of fertilization of the soil, so fertilizing the area allocated for asparagus beans begins before planting and ends before harvesting.

Tip: When planting asparagus in the soil in the spring, you must first add humus (10 kg per 1 sq. m).

Planting in the fall requires adding superphosphate to the soil (60 g per 1 sq. m), about 30 g of potassium sulfate and 20 g of ammonium sulfate, which gives color. After a month, the soil is fed with a 1:5 solution of mullein.

The agro-components used contribute to the growth of plant mass and the development of stems, so that by winter the required amount accumulates in the root system nutrients. As asparagus begins to bloom, the plants are sometimes sprayed with a systemic insecticide.

By mid-July, when asparagus resumes its development and acquires a greenish color, it will again need fertilizing with mineral and organic agrochemicals. The fourth and last fertilizing during the growing season is carried out using complex mineral fertilizers at the end of October and before the onset of the first frost.

From the beginning of September to the end of October, the stems need to be cut off and the rest of the branches sprinkled with peat chips (15 liters per 1 sq. m). To slow down the growth of asparagus, you can add a phosphate-potassium mixture (30 g per 1 sq. m) to the ground.

Harvest

The first edible fruits on asparagus appear after 4 years. Harvesting can begin after the rhizomes rise to the surface of the soil. If there were no severe frosts in winter, and spring turned out to be early, then asparagus can be harvested in early April.

After harvesting the asparagus, the stems are hilled up, the weeds around the plants are removed, and mineral fertilizing. New shoots are driven away from asparagus roots, which continue their development until the first cold weather, forming new buds.

The asparagus harvest should be placed in a warm place, having previously selected stems unsuitable for storage: these may be pods with rotten ends, damaged by garden insects. For long-term storage, the ends are cut off and the asparagus is placed in containers without access to air. So that the asparagus does not lose its nutritional value and color, it is stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of minus 0-2 0 C.

Asparagus(Latin “Asparagus”) is one of the rare perennial vegetable crops. Despite the fact that novice gardeners are familiar with asparagus as an ornamental plant (used in bouquets and garden decoration), it is also a close relative of asparagus. In general, the name of the family to which the plant belongs is just that: asparagus.

It is surprising that this plant is relatively new to us, although it is documented that humanity has been growing it for more than 2 thousand years.

Asparagus can be grown both in a summer cottage and in an apartment. Recommended for growing in the garden: asparagus asparagus, Sprenger asparagus. For home garden It is better to choose: pinnate asparagus, finest asparagus. For landscape design You can use Meyer's asparagus - a voluminous shrub that, with appropriate pruning, holds its shape well. Mature plant reaches 0.5-2 meters in height.

Asparagus shoots emerge from the ground in early spring. Soon, when it gets warmer, they become covered with peculiar “needles” (only some members of the family have leaves, for example, asparagus asparagus). By autumn these needles will turn golden.

Take a look here:

Asparagus grown from seeds

Landing. Garden asparagus prefers sunny, cool places. Choose your planting location carefully, as the bushes can live for more than 20 years. Soil acidity should be between 6.5 and 7.5, and the soil should be well drained. Asparagus does not require special fertilizers (unless the soil itself is very poor). It is best to prepare the land for planting in the fall. The optimal depth of the hole for planting rhizomes is 15-20 cm (the deeper you plant the asparagus, the thicker its shoots will be). Do not plant asparagus next to plants that do not tolerate shade: the bushes grow quickly and put pressure on their “neighbors.”

Caring for asparagus. The watering regime is moderate: asparagus tolerates drought more easily than excess moisture. The plant should be shaded from aggressive sun. Garden asparagus requires loosening of the soil, but in order not to damage the roots, try not to go deeper than 5 cm. The plant often suffers from insect attacks and rot. In the first year, the asparagus crop is not harvested; the time for harvesting occurs in the second or third year.

Asparagus shoots

Asparagus from seeds. Asparagus can be grown from seeds, but you will have to be patient. It will take about 6 weeks for the seeds to ripen, and it will be possible to plant young shoots in open ground only after 12-14 weeks.

Asparagus at home. Asparagus planted in a pot can be a wonderful decoration for the home, but you need to remember that it will require more attention than a garden one. Thus, domestic asparagus often suffers from spider mite and scale insects, are more susceptible to drying out. In addition to drying out, the ornamental plant is also at risk of overheating, so do not place the container near a radiator or heater. Ideal temperature for him - 15-20 degrees Celsius.

To grow asparagus at home, you will need a medium pot (about 15 cm in diameter), a mixture of soil and sand (2:1), or perhaps with the addition of peat. After planting the seeds, the pot should be placed in a sunny, well-ventilated area and watered regularly. If you use root cuttings for planting, keep in mind that young shoots will appear in 3 weeks.

Transplantation and pruning of decorative asparagus is carried out in the spring. It is recommended to trim not only weak branches, but also the rhizome.

What to do if asparagus turns yellow? In the garden, green asparagus (green-headed asparagus) changes leaf color with the changing seasons. However, if the plant suddenly turns yellow in the middle of summer or you observe yellowed leaves on your homemade asparagus, pay attention to the watering regime - most likely it does not have enough moisture. Another reason that asparagus turns yellow is too intense lighting (it is recommended to shade or rearrange the pot).

Today, many gardeners remembered, began to grow and fell in love with the unfairly forgotten asparagus. But before it was called the royal vegetable. Ordinary people were forbidden to grow this crop, since eating asparagus was considered a privilege for the nobility. Dishes made from it are still delicacies to this day, and most importantly, they are very healthy. Therefore, do not deny yourself the pleasure, buy several varieties of asparagus and plant them in your garden.

Choosing a place and soil for planting asparagus

Asparagus grows in one place for up to 20 years, its yield increases for the first 6–7 years, then remains stable, and after 10 years it decreases. This means that you need to choose a site for asparagus, as you would for a tree or shrub seedling, that is, for a long time. The place should be open to the sun and rarely visited. A well-lit corner of the garden is ideal. Perennial spicy and medicinal herbs. The best predecessors of asparagus are cereals and crops that require deep digging of the ground (potatoes).

The place for planting asparagus should be open and sunny.

The soil under asparagus should be fertile and well-permeable to the roots. For one family, six bushes will be enough, which will take up about 2 m². Fertilize the bed with humus, compost or fresh manure, scattering it on each one before digging square meter 1-2 buckets each. Heavy clay soil should be corrected by adding coarse sand to a consistency where the wet soil no longer clumps together.

Asparagus grows in one place for many years, so the soil needs to be well-filled with organic matter - manure or humus.

Save from close occurrence of groundwater (at a depth of less than 1.5–2 m²) raised beds- from 10 cm and above. Besides, asparagus doesn't like acidic soils, before planting, they are deoxidized with lime, bone meal or dolomite meal. Application rates depend on the pH of the soil on the site. The instructions for deoxidizers indicate dosages depending on this indicator.

For packaging dolomite flour there is a table with application rates

The pH level may vary in different areas of the same garden. To determine it, you will need: an earth sample taken from a depth of 20–30 cm and litmus paper. Take a spoonful of the soil to be analyzed and dilute it to the state of liquid mud with rainwater from a barrel. Dip litmus into the pulp and immediately apply it to the indicator scale to determine the color. If the color does not seem to have changed, then most likely the pH is between 6 and 7, meaning your soil is slightly acidic. If you doubt the functionality litmus paper, dip it in 70% vinegar. She should blush.

Pay special attention to pre-plant weed control. Growing asparagus will entwine the entire bed with its roots, they will become entangled with each other, and it will no longer be possible to disturb the soil to remove weeds. Therefore, dig up the area with the bayonet of a shovel, carefully removing all the roots. If you plant under a fence, dig in sheets of slate or tin along the border with the street so that the root shoots of perennial weeds do not penetrate into the garden bed.

Video: asparagus in the garden, harvesting

Methods and timing of planting asparagus

Like most plants, asparagus reproduces by seeds and vegetatively, that is, by part of a bush or rhizome. Planting material you can buy it, ask it from friends, or take it from your plot if you already have mature asparagus bushes.

Sowing with divided rhizomes or seedlings

Most easy way- divide a 4-5 year old bush. It consists of several shoots, each can become a seedling if it is carefully separated from the total mass along with the roots. Optimal time for this landing method:

• the beginning of spring, when shoots are just breaking through the ground;
• autumn, after yellowing of the aerial parts (panicles).

An asparagus seedling in early spring looks like an octopus, with a shoot just beginning to grow visible in the center

You will collect your first full-fledged harvest of asparagus from seeds only in the third year, and asparagus planted from rhizomes - already in the next season.

When preparing a plot for asparagus, take into account such a nuance as the direction of the rows. It is better if they are located from north to south. The length and number of rows depend on the availability of seedlings. The distance between the bushes will be 40 cm, between the rows - 1–2 m. Next, proceed according to the scheme:

1. To lay a row, dig a trench 30 cm deep and 40–50 cm wide. Fold the excavated soil along the trench.
2. Make the bottom wide and flat.
3. If the soil at the bottom is dense, loosen it and dig it up.
4. Pour humus, compost or manure into the bottom in a layer of 8 cm.
5. Along the entire length of the trench, on top of the fertilizer, pour the soil removed during digging with a comb. Its top should be 10 cm below the top edge of the trench.
6. Place the seedlings at a distance from each other.
7. Spread the roots of each along the slopes of the embankment.
8. Cover the roots and the entire trench with soil and level the surface.
9. Water well and mulch.

If you plant seedlings in pots, then you do not need to free the roots from the ground and straighten them, just take the plant out of the pot along with the lump, place it on top of the shaft and bury it. The above-ground part can be buried 3–5 cm. When planting with part of the root taken from an adult bush, in the spring, when the shoots have just begun to grow, you can fill them in their entirety so that there is a 3 cm layer of soil above the tops of the shoots. The depth of planting asparagus is not very large meaning - its stems grow well both underground and above it, the main thing is that the roots are covered with soil.

Photo gallery: planting several asparagus seedlings in a trench

The bottom of the trench for planting asparagus should be wide and level. The bottom of the trench is fertilized with humus. On top of the layer of organic matter, make a ridge from the excavated soil. Lay out the asparagus seedlings and spread their roots along the slopes of the ridge. Fill the roots and the entire trench with the remains of the earth. Water the bed using a watering can with a strainer. Plant according to the same principle. second row of asparagus

Video: planting asparagus root in a hole

Sowing asparagus seeds in the ground

The seed method is more interesting, but labor-intensive. Of course, it’s nice to watch how, with your help, the seeds wake up and sprout small shoots. But these seedlings must be protected from cold, heat, stretching, drying out or, conversely, rotting.

You can sow asparagus seeds directly into the ground from late May to early June. It should be taken into account that, although adult asparagus bushes are cold-resistant, young shoots are afraid of even minor frosts, therefore, when sowing in the ground in spring, they need to be covered with film or agrofibre.

Experts say that male plants are more resistant to cold than female ones. Signs of a “boy” asparagus - there are many shoots, but they are thin, no berries are formed on the bushes. The “girl” has fewer shoots, but they are thicker, and the bushes bear berries.

Sow seeds in the ground like this:

All warm season Asparagus needs to be watered and weeded. For the winter, it is better to cover it with spruce branches, burlap or other breathable covering material.

The following spring, after sowing asparagus seeds in the ground, the weakest young shoots are cut off or removed by the roots in order to thin out and leave the best ones in the garden, bringing the planting pattern to 40x40 cm.

Asparagus shoots grow thin and long even in open ground; this is their feature, not elongation

The collected shoots, if they are thick and juicy, can be used for food; the remaining ones cannot be injured. If they are cut or broken, the plants will die, since they do not yet have a powerful root with many buds from which new shoots would grow.

Sowing asparagus seedlings

Sowing seeds in pots is carried out in March, but they can be planted in the ground only at the beginning of summer. For planting, take pots 6 cm wide and deep. The soil is suitable for purchasing seedlings or your own. To make your own soil mixture:

1. Take one part each of turf soil, peat and humus.
2. Stir, moisten. If after this the soil shrinks into a lump that does not crumble, add coarse sand, perlite or vermiculite to loosen it.
3. Pour a glass into the bucket of the resulting mixture wood ash, mix again.
4. Disinfect the soil by heating it in any way until steam emits from it. You can spill boiling water.

Choose well-known and proven brands of soil; disinfect soil mixtures of questionable quality

I tried to fry the soil myself on the stove. The smell was suffocating, strong and unpleasant. Therefore, it is better to disinfect the garden on the grill or use boiling water. With the latter method, the soil turns out to be too damp, so prepare it in advance so that it has time to dry out.

Until recently, I was sure that I only needed to warm up the soil from my garden, and that ready-made soil from the store was safe. But last year, my mother-in-law sowed seedlings in purchased land and suffered heavy losses from whiteflies. These insects multiplied every week, spread over all the plants in the house and ate even the already blooming strong tomatoes to the bare stems. One can wonder for a long time how a greenhouse or greenhouse pest got into a comfortable apartment on the 6th floor, but the most obvious thing is that the larvae were in the store soil.

Sowing asparagus seedlings is carried out in this way:

Asparagus seedlings can be planted in open ground only when the return frosts in the morning stop. Stop feeding 2 weeks before planting. In a week, begin to harden, that is, gradually accustom you to fresh air and sunlight. Water well the day before.

Video: planting asparagus seedlings in the ground

Replanting asparagus, including for winter consumption

Transplanting an adult asparagus bush is done in several cases:

• asparagus was planted in a sunny place, but over time it became shady;
• the bush is outdated, the yield has decreased, it needs to be divided for rejuvenation;
• in place of the asparagus, it was decided to plant another crop that is more appropriate here, or to erect a building;
• I want to eat asparagus all winter and prepare delicious dishes from it for the New Year's table.

Transplantation is done according to the same principle and in the same time frame as planting with roots. In summer it is better not to disturb the bushes.

Replant or divide asparagus bush better in spring when it aboveground part still small

For winter consumption, asparagus is dug up in the fall and planted in a greenhouse, winter Garden, an insulated greenhouse or other structure that allows planting directly into the ground in winter:

1. In the fall, when the above-ground part of the asparagus turns yellow, cut it off.
2. Dig out the entire root or part with 2-3 buds.
3. They are transferred to a greenhouse or other insulated and light structure and planted.
4. Maintain the optimal temperature for this crop and water regularly.
5. A week after planting, they begin to actively feed nitrogen fertilizers or mulch with humus.

On an industrial scale, asparagus is grown all year round

Is it possible to grow asparagus at home?

There is no evidence that asparagus is grown for food in pots or boxes at home. The root of an adult fruit-bearing bush goes 1–1.5 m deep, and only when it has grown well can it produce many succulent shoots. The closest relative of asparagus, indoor asparagus, grows safely in the apartment, but it has only decorative value.

In Europe, which is ahead of us, there is already a new trend: they do not grow asparagus, but collect wild green ones. It is believed that in natural conditions No one fertilizes the plants, so they are more natural and healthier. By the way, wild green asparagus grows in the Caucasus and Crimea. Locals From time immemorial, it has been picked and used in cooking: stewed with vegetables and nuts, eaten with satsivi and in stews.

Video: how to grow and cook asparagus

Not in every garden you can find this amazing plant, although all gardeners know it. Known mainly by flower bouquets from socialist times, when each bouquet for schoolchildren or anniversaries was decorated with a delicate fluffy sprig of asparagus, or asparagus.

Until recently, asparagus was known to our gardeners only as ornamental plant. And at this time, in the West, young, juicy shoots of asparagus were in particular demand - a delicacy that not everyone in our country had even heard of. It turned out that asparagus is like vegetable crop known to people since ancient times. She was respected by the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans, and the Egyptians also attributed medicinal and magical properties. In Germany it was a royal vegetable, its sale ordinary people prohibited, the entire harvest had to go to the royal table. Since the 18th century, it has been valued and cultivated as a vegetable in Russia. On many landowner estates, asparagus was grown for the master's table.

Currently, asparagus is intensively grown in the USA, as well as in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. It’s a shame to say that asparagus reaches our shelves from abroad, and the prices, naturally, are fantastic.

Since gardeners know little about this most useful vegetable, I’ll tell you more about it.

Nutritional value

Asparagus is eaten by young white shoots that develop in the ground from buds that overwinter on the rhizome, or young green shoots that have just emerged to the surface.

The special value of this vegetable is that it appears in early spring, when there are almost no other vegetables in the garden.

Due to its low calorie content, asparagus is quickly absorbed by the body. White shoots are rich in protein substances, which contain the essential amino acid asparagine, named after asparagus because it was first discovered in it. They contain a lot of vitamins, especially B1 and B2, minerals(calcium, sodium, magnesium, ferric chloride, phosphoric acid, etc.). Green shoots are less fibrous and chemical composition more valuable than whites. They contain more dry matter, proteins, vitamin C, and B vitamins. In addition, they contain substances that include sulfur. The tops of the shoot head are the most delicious and aromatic parts of the shoots.

Healing properties

The healing properties of asparagus have long been known in folk medicine. Thanks to asparagine, it is used to treat dropsy and gout, cystitis and kidney stones. Infusions and special syrups are made from its shoots and rhizomes. It has been established that consumption of asparagus helps lower blood pressure, normalizes heart function, dilates peripheral blood vessels, and improves liver function. Dietary dishes are prepared from asparagus, which are especially useful for diseases of the kidneys, liver, gout, diabetes and others. Constant consumption of asparagus increases vitality.

Biological features

Asparagus, or asparagus, is a perennial plant from the Asparagus family. The name “asparagus” comes from the Greek word “asparasso”, which means “strongly tearing”. Indeed, it is difficult to get out of the asparagus thickets without torn clothing: straight, up to 2 m tall, branched green semi-lignified stems are covered with a huge number of needles. In fact, these needles are not leaves, but shortened branches that perform the functions of leaves. The true leaves are reduced into small scales, from the axils of which these branches appear. They can be single or collected in bunches.

The root system of asparagus is very well developed. The rhizome grows annually from above and dies from below, as a result of which over time the bush and root system rise upward to the soil surface. In the central part of the rhizome, the bases of the stems and vegetative buds are concentrated, from which new thick, juicy shoots will grow in the spring of next year. This part of the bush with stems is surrounded by cord-like roots radiating to the sides, in which nutrients are stored. These roots live for about six years. As the old roots gradually die off, new ones grow from above. In the spring, thin suction roots appear, which die off by winter. The bulk of the roots lie shallow in the soil, but individual roots can go very deep. The underground part of the shoot is white, after emerging into the light the shoots turn green, become woody over time, and fruits are formed on them - bright red balls similar to berries.

Asparagus is a dioecious plant: male and female flowers are most often located on different individuals. Male flowers more yellow, bell-shaped, their pistil is underdeveloped, but there are two rows of stamens. Female flowers smaller, they are pale, they have a well-developed pistil and poorly developed stamens. Male plants are quicker and more developed: they grow more stems than female ones, and they are thinner and coarser. Female plants produce thick shoots, but in small quantities, but they are very tender. The yield of shoots from a bed of only male plants is significantly greater than from a bed with mixed crops. Number of men's and female plants when sowing seeds it turns out approximately the same.

Asparagus plants can grow in one place for up to 15–20 years. They are very frost-resistant, especially the males. They winter well in the conditions of the Leningrad region, even with a small layer of snow, because the rhizomes of adult plants can withstand frosts down to 30 ° C. Adult plants are not afraid of frost, however, young stems, as well as seedlings from seeds, very often suffer from them in the spring.

Growing conditions

Asparagus in general unpretentious plant, however, in order to get tender, tasty shoots, she needs to create certain conditions.

1. Sunny or slightly shaded places.

2. Loose sandy loam soils, rich nutrients. On poor soils the shoots become fibrous and tough. Asparagus does not grow well in heavy clay and cold soils. Asparagus does not like acidic or even slightly acidic soils.

3. The soils must be sufficiently moist, but without close groundwater. If there is a lack of moisture, the shoots turn out to be hard and bitter; if there is too much moisture, the roots will rot.

Growing

Asparagus is propagated mainly by seeds, through seedlings in an open ridge or in a greenhouse, in a nursery. In addition to seed, propagation in spring is possible by dividing old bushes into several parts. In the fall, this method is not always successful, because cuttings sometimes die in winter, especially if they are taken from bushes that are not in their first youth.

Seeds can be sown for seedlings in March - April. However, there will be less hassle, and the seedlings will be of better quality if you sow them in a seedling bed or in a specially designated warm place in the garden. In this case best time sowing in the Leningrad region - the first ten days of June. To speed up the emergence of seedlings before sowing, the seeds are soaked for 2–3 days, changing the water daily, then placed on a damp cloth on a saucer for 7–8 days until the seeds hatch. Then the hatched seeds are sown in the prepared place to a depth of 3 cm in rows with a distance between them of 20 cm, in a row - 5 cm, unless, of course, there are 2-3 seeds. Immediately after the emergence of seedlings, they are thinned out, leaving a distance of 15–20 cm. The thinning procedure should not be left for later, because the roots of the plants grow strongly, and it will be very difficult to pull them out of the ground without disturbing neighboring plants.

Caring for seedlings involves weeding, fertilizing, and loosening the soil. In dry weather, watering is required. Feed immediately after emergence ammonium nitrate, and three weeks after the first, do a second feeding with slurry.

By the autumn of the first year, well-groomed seedlings have 2–3 stems and developed root system(“spider”) For the winter, plantings are mulched with a layer of peat or compost. At the same time, they begin to prepare the soil for planting seedlings on permanent place.

Soil preparation. For good growth and active formation of shoots, all rhizomes of perennial weeds must be removed from the planting site. The soil needs to be loosened to a depth of 30–40 cm. Then deoxidize it with lime or chalk until an almost neutral reaction. For each future plant, add 3-4 shovels of rotted manure or compost, or a bucket for each square meter of planting, add a full mineral fertilizer.

An excellent planting option is to dig a hole with a diameter and depth of up to 40 cm for each plant. Place a 15–20 cm layer of humus on its bottom, pour a pile of garden soil 10 cm high on it. Place the plant on this pile, spread the roots over it, and cover it them with a layer of soil with humus and fertilizers 5–7 cm thick. As the shoots grow, this layer is increased to the edges of the dug hole.

Planting plants in a permanent place. In the spring of next year, seedlings with a strong root system and three shoots are selected and planted in a permanent place. If the seedlings are weak, then you can leave them in the nursery until the fall of next year. By this time, with good nutrition, the seedlings will have time to bloom, and it will be possible to select male or female specimens from among them. The female specimens produce berries.

The best time for planting seedlings in a permanent place in our area is the first half of May. It can also be planted in the second half of August (the dates are indicated without taking into account climate change in recent years).

If you propagate asparagus by dividing the bush, then cut the rhizome of the dug up bush with a knife into sections (they are clearly visible), which are planted in a permanent place in the same way as seedlings. Next spring plants are hilled to a height of 25–30 cm (or a pile of hay is thrown on them). When the tops of the head appear, the shoots are cut off and taken to the kitchen. Thus, when propagating asparagus by dividing the bush, we save a couple of years compared to the seed method.

When planting in a permanent place, you need to remember that we are planting plants for 15–20 years, and over time they will grow greatly. Therefore, there is no need to thicken the plantings, but leave a distance of 35–50 cm between the bushes.

Care and harvesting. In the first two years after planting in a permanent place, the plants are hilled up two or three times during the summer, fed with mineral and organic fertilizers, weeded, and loosened the soil. In winter, the stems are cut off, the soil is loosened and mulched with compost or humus.

In the third year (or the fourth after sowing the seeds) you can begin harvesting the shoots. Plants covered with humus or highly hilled form shoots white, because such shoots grow only in the dark. They are called bleached or etiolated. Usually in the spring, plants are hilled high for the purpose of bleaching. I managed to get bleached shoots easier: in the spring I throw heaps of hay or mowed weeds on the asparagus bushes that have not yet awakened. Then I remove the hay and cut off the shoots that have grown under it.

Green shoots do not spud and are harvested at a length of 15–18 cm, when they have a dense head. Shoots are cut daily as needed. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the roots and buds.

The youngest bushes are harvested within 2–3 weeks. For older bushes, this pleasure can be extended for a month and a half. Then the asparagus is fed with mineral fertilizer. After this, the plant is given complete freedom to grow and the opportunity to make food reserves for the next season. It is imperative to feed asparagus, otherwise it will quickly become depleted. Once every 3-4 years you need to give organic fertilizer, best of all - rotted manure. For several years now, instead of manure, several times during the summer I mulch the plantings with cut and chopped grass from a lawn mower; I first put a complete mineral fertilizer under the layer of grass and embed it into the soil. The asparagus is doing great. Sometimes I add rotted manure to the mulch, if I can get it, or compost.

Usually in our region the first harvest is ready in the second half of May. Under film cover you can get the harvest even earlier - it all depends on the weather. Cut shoots that do not immediately end up on the kitchen table can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

So, it seems that asparagus will not grow soon, and therefore I don’t want to plant it. However, in reality, these three or four years will fly by quickly and unnoticed. And then it turns out that you have luxurious asparagus bushes growing in your garden. Three bushes are enough for a small family. And now seeds of many varieties of asparagus have appeared on sale, differing in bush height, early ripening, color of young shoots, etc.

Asparagus dishes

Asparagus is a gourmet crop. The most tender, nutritious and rich in vitamins- the upper part, called the head. Asparagus is used for preparing first and second courses, for freezing and canning.

Cream soup. For 300 g of asparagus - half a liter of water, 4 glasses of milk, 2 tbsp. l. flour and butter. Cut off the heads of the shoots, peel the shoots, cut them and cook in salted water for 15–20 minutes. Fry flour and butter in a frying pan, dilute it with milk in a soup pan, boil, add asparagus along with the broth, cook for another 15 minutes. Rub through a sieve and add salt. When serving, add boiled asparagus heads.

Boiled asparagus with sauce. This is how you boil asparagus: peel the shoots, tie them into bunches of 10 pieces, and cook in salted water for 30 minutes. Take it out, let the water drain, remove the threads. Place the boiled asparagus on a dish. Before serving, pour over the sauce: beat 70 g of butter with 2 yolks and a tablespoon of flour. Stir the mixture and bring to a boil. You can use another sauce - croutons fried in oil.

Asparagus in breadcrumbs. Fry boiled asparagus in a frying pan in oil along with breadcrumbs.

Asparagus Orly. Dry the boiled asparagus and water lemon juice, salt and pepper, dip into pancake batter and fry on vegetable oil. Serve tomato sauce with cooked asparagus.

Asparagus with cheese. Pour the sauce over the asparagus boiled in salted water: 20 g each of flour, butter and 400 g of broth. Before pouring, add 1 egg, 50 g, to this sauce, while still hot. grated cheese, 100 g sour cream. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and bake everything in the oven.

Canned asparagus. Wash, peel, and cut the shoots so that they are 2–3 cm below the height of the jar. Boil a little, place in a jar, heads down, rinse boiled water. Fill the jars with a boiling solution to which salt and sugar are added at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon per liter of water. Roll up and sterilize for 1 hour in boiling water. After two days, sterilize again for 30 minutes.

Asparagus for garden decoration

You can plant one female specimen. Over the years, it will grow into a powerful, spectacular multi-stemmed bush that will look very beautiful, especially in the fall - with beads of red berries and needles yellow color. If you leave one stem with berries uncut during the winter, they will self-sow in the spring. Self-seeding grows wherever asparagus seeds fall. Sometimes it happens that the compost heap becomes overgrown with tender bright green fluffy asparagus.

Caring for ornamental asparagus is the same as caring for asparagus planted as a vegetable. You can feed it less and water it less, it will still grow and bear fruit, only the shoots will be thinner and the bush will grow less lush. Even the most malicious weeds cannot defeat a mature bush.

Lyubov Bobrovskaya, amateur gardener