Preparing the Asparagus Beds for Winter
To stay organized during seasonal transitions here at my Bedford, New York farm we always follow a schedule of tasks from one year to the next.
My outdoor grounds crew has been especially busy moving plants, blowing leaves, storing outdoor furniture and mulching various areas of the garden. The recent weather has allowed us ample time to complete many of our outdoor tasks in preparation for winter. Yesterday, my gardeners tended the asparagus plants. Once established, asparagus is a relatively low-maintenance crop, but there are a few key practices to remember when putting asparagus to bed.
Here are some tips and photos - enjoy.
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- I have five long asparagus beds located in the back of my flower cutting garden. My gardening crew has already started to secure twine along the sides of the bed, so they can be reshaped.
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- Chhewang places the twine stake on one end of the bed. Remember this twine holder and stake set from my old collection at Kmart? These still work perfectly after many years.
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- And then using short sections of bamboo, the twine is guided alongside the entire perimeter of the bed.
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- Here is an asparagus stalk in spring, when it’s ready to be picked from the garden. Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis, is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennial plant species in the genus Asparagus. Asparagus crowns can produce tasty spears for 20-years or more if given the right care and nutrients.
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- While green and white asparagus are the same, purple asparagus is a different variety. This variety was originally developed in the Albenga region of Italy. The purple hue is only cosmetic, as the pulp of the vegetable remains green or even white.
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- Before the the mulch is put down, Ryan sprinkles some plant food on all the beds. I love my new All-Purpose Plant Food from QVC. It’s great for all types of plants: flowers, vegetables, trees, and shrubs.
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- My plant food is formulated to boost initial plant growth, help roots thrive, and protect against transfer loss. It contains a blend of microbes, mycorrhizae and other nutrients that break down gradually to provide a safe, long-lasting food reservoir throughout the growing season.
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- The bag is also resealable, so any leftover food can be safely stored. Here, Ryan sprinkles fertilizer on the last two asparagus beds.
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- The next step is to cover the beds with composted mulch. Carlos places a generous amount in clumps along each bed.
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- As you all know, we make all our compost right here at the farm. My compost piles include this dark organic matter made up of manure and biodegradable materials. Compost is ready to use after two-years. During this time, it is mixed with water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, which break down the organic matter and eliminate odors.
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- For asparagus, it’s ideal to cover the beds with about four to six inches of mulch over the crowns.
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- Here are the asparagus stalks once they are covered with compost – the crowns underneath are now well protected.
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- The cut fern stubs help hold the mulch over the crowns, providing a good insulating layer against the winter cold.
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- Chhewang carefully levels the mulch over the bed with a hard rake. Prepping asparagus beds for winter will protect the roots from the cold and encourage the plants to go dormant, allowing the plant to rest before its next growth phase in the spring.
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- He also uses a spade to create narrow footpaths in between the beds.
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- Chhewang then uses a soft rake to make it neat and tidy. Healthy and robust crowns are really the key to growing asparagus. By next growing season, nutrients from the manure will have leached-in and amended the soil.
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- Autumn is also a good time to check the soil pH in asparagus beds. Asparagus plants prefer a sweet soil—a pH of at least 7.0. To adjust the pH, add lime to raise it, or sulfur to lower it.
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- Here, Chhewang does the same to the two beds on the other side of the garden. Each year the bed does get a little more raised, but that’s a good thing. It makes for better drainage which is important for the asparagus roots.
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- Chhewang also spreads a layer of composted mulch on the rhubarb bed. A two to three inch layer will prevent winter winds from drying out the roots.
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- As long as the soil is well drained, the crowns will survive even hard freezes with a layer of mulch. Rhubarb is a species of plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhizomes. The fleshy, edible stalks, are used in cooking, but the large, triangular leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid, making them inedible.
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- All the beds look great and ready for the cold season ahead.
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- With just a little proper care in the fall, we’ll have many juicy green and purple spears in spring as well as rhubarb. How do you care for your asparagus and rhubarb plants? Share your winterizing plant tips with me in the comments section below.
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