Asparagus is a seedling of perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Asparagus in the family Asparagaceae.

Asparagus cultivation techniques

Requirements for environmental conditions

Asparagus is both cold and heat tolerant, and can be grown in both the frigid and tropical zones, but high yields and high quality are best obtained in areas with a long frost-free period and a clear winter. The best temperature for young stem quality is 15 to 17 degrees Celsius, and the fastest growing temperature for young stems is 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. Asparagus is quite drought tolerant and does not tolerate moisture. Roots are susceptible to disease when there is a lot of rain, soil waterlogging and high air humidity. Inadequate water supply has a great impact on plant growth and yield. Asparagus needs loose, airy, deep, low water table, well-drained soil. It is best grown in loamy or sandy loam soils rich in organic matter. pH 6 to 6.7 is optimal. Although asparagus likes light, but the light intensity requirements are not high, light saturation point of 40,000 lux.

Cultivating seedlings

Planting seedlings in early spring, the seedlings are planted, and within one year they can be raised into root plants, and harvesting will begin the following year. Therefore, should try to early sowing, early planting, to achieve the year to raise a good strain. To this end, it is appropriate to take in mid-February, late February under the cover of a plastic shed sowing planting, preferably directly sown in a nutrient bowl, before sowing the seed seed soaking germination, before the emergence of seedlings should pay attention to heat preservation, moisturizing, after the emergence of seedlings to pay attention to the ventilation when the seedlings are 10 cm high, combined with the watering of rotted fertilizer once, after the break of frost, uncovered refining, so that it is gradually adapted to the environment of the field.

The period of open-air seedling cultivation should be based on the requirements of seed germination on the temperature conditions, seedling growth patterns and ecological conditions around the different methods of seedling cultivation. Should avoid the summer high temperature and rainy season.

Land preparation and planting

Asparagus is a perennial plant, the cultivation of high demand, must be deep plowing, and the application of a large amount of organic fertilizer, generally per hectare should be sprinkled with 45,000 to 60,000 kg of decomposed pile of stable fertilizer, tilling into the soil; then in the middle of the bed after the bed dug 50 to 60 cm wide, 30 to 40 cm deep planting ditch, inside the application of decomposed pile of stable fertilizer 3000 kg, mixed with fine soil, stamped solid. Mixed with fine soil, tread solidly sprinkled with fine soil, applied 600 kg of compound fertilizer, fertilizer and then mulch to 17 cm from the bed surface. The width of the bed varies according to the purpose of cultivation, white asparagus to cultivate the soil, bed width of 180 centimeters, green asparagus bed width of about 150 centimeters is appropriate.

When the age of the seedlings reaches 60 to 80 days, plant height of more than 25 centimeters, the number of stems more than 3 branches, can be planted. Greenhouse training seedlings, generally late April to early May planting. If the line of open-ground training seedlings, should be planted in early June. White shoots row spacing of 1.8 m X 30 to 40 cm, green shoots row spacing of 1.5 m X 30 to 40 cm, planting, so that the underground stems of the bulbous shoots group along the ditch in the same direction (generally south), rows in a straight line, so that the root system fully expanded, mulch 5 cm, watering the seedlings, and then mulch 2 to 3 times; to be viable and grow a new above-ground stems, then mulch again in stages, filled with planting grooves.

Planting

The year's field management after slowing down the seedling in time to plow and weed, often keep the soil loose, do a good job to open the ditch drainage, mulch in time for 2 to 3 times, made into a small high ridges. Spring young stems up to 10 cm, combined with watering per hectare of urea 225 to 300 kg, and then every 20 to 30 days after the application of thin fertilizer once, in mid-August to reapply an autumn fertilizer, 450 kg per hectare of compound fertilizer, watered once before wintering, and at the same time pay attention to clear the garden.

Timely harvesting

Timely harvesting is the key to high-yield asparagus, picking white shoots should be in the morning and evening, when the surface of the soil ridge cracking or wet circle for the shoot will be the sign of the elongation of the stem, and then immediately peeled off the topsoil, revealing the head of the young stems, cut, generally leave the stubble 2 to 3 centimeters; harvesting of green shoots should be in the young stems wrapped in the top of the scales did not spread, was the head of the hairbrush when cut. After harvesting, the hole should be sealed and stepped on, so as not to affect the quality of stem bending. After harvesting, cut off the mother stem, do a good job of fertilizer, plowing and weeding, disease and insect control, garden clearing and other work.