Asparagus is considered a delicacy, and its price is appropriate. Not everyone can afford to buy it regularly in a store. But there is another option - to grow a culture in your own personal plot. She is not very popular with Russian gardeners, many simply do not risk contacting the unusual exotic, considering her capricious to leave. But the plant is surprisingly unpretentious. If you familiarize yourself with agrotechnics in advance, even a not-so-experienced gardener can get a crop. There are not so many varieties in Russia, the most common are asparagus Argentel.
What does asparagus Argentel look like
Asparagus is a perennial herb; with proper care, its productive life is 17–20 years. It is a "bush" of thin shoots that begin to branch intensively about 20-25 cm from the base. Leaves are more like soft needles. Asparagus is more familiar to many Russians not as a product, but as a decoration of bouquets. Until now, it is often planted not for eating, but as an element of landscape design. The culture looks decorative both during the summer and in the fall, when bright greenery effectively sets off coral-red berries.
Asparagus is often grown by gardeners just to decorate their own plot.
Plants are divided into "male" and "female". The latter are not very respected by gardeners because of the relatively low productivity. The former surpass them in this indicator by about 25%. But on the other hand, shoots on "male" plants are noticeably thinner.
During the first two years after planting, asparagus is a low twig. Growth is almost imperceptible. This is due to the fact that at this time it forms the root system at an intensive pace. The rhizome of the plant is very powerful, fleshy, due to this asparagus tolerates adverse weather conditions and stably forms growth buds, not paying attention to cold, drought and so on.
Asparagus is recognized by many, but not edible shoots, and fluffy "panicles" adorning any bouquets before
Then the "branch" gradually begins to branch. The first crop (2-3 shoots) is cut only in the third year. From an adult plant, you can get 40-50 shoots about 20 cm long. Their length increases almost before the eyes - up to 3 cm per day. The yield of asparagus is low - 2.1 kg / m², in particularly successful years 3.5–4 kg / m².
The first fruiting of asparagus Argentel will have to wait three years, then the yield will gradually increase as the bush grows
This is one of the first crops to bring crops in the next season. Asparagus shoots are cut in May. In this respect, only wild garlic or greens planted for winter can compete with it - onions, lettuce. The fruiting period of young specimens stretches for 12-15 days.
In the spring, asparagus shoots appear almost from under the snow.
Argentel is one of the most common asparagus varieties in Russia. This is the development of foreign breeders, a little "corrected and supplemented" by Soviet specialists. It appeared in the public domain in the early 50s of the last century. Then the variety was included in the State Register. There are no restrictions on the growing region.
Argentzelskaya is one of the few asparagus varieties successfully cultivated in Russia
Plant height reaches 1.5-1.7 m. The shoots used in food are quite thin - no more than 1 cm in diameter. In general, they are snow-white with a barely noticeable pinkish tint, but in the open air they quickly change color to salad green with an ink-violet tint. Creamy flesh or a touch of butter. At the end of summer, round “fruits” ripen. Each has one seed.
Asparagus fruits are inedible, they are suitable only for self-collection of seeds
Variety of asparagus Argentel has many indisputable advantages. First of all, it can be noted its cold resistance (up to -30 ° С), early maturity, relative undemanding care, remarkable taste and high content of trace elements and vitamins that are healthy for health. Its disadvantages are the same as those inherent in the culture as a whole - low productivity and short shelf life. You can not delay the harvest. Overripe shoots quickly lose moisture and become coarse.
Fresh Argentinean asparagus tastes like young green peas. The stems are soft and juicy, with virtually no fibers. During heat treatment, they retain their shade and shape. Its shoots are appreciated for the high content of asparagine (an amino acid that the body is not able to produce on its own) and coumarin. Saponin, a substance indispensable for the synthesis of many hormones, especially serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, is slightly less in it. The first is considered a "hormone of happiness", that is, asparagus helps get rid of depression, causeless anxiety, get rid of sleep problems.
With its regular use in food, blood pressure normalizes, and the state of the cardiovascular system as a whole improves. Also, nutritionists note the positive effect of asparagus on the liver and kidneys. It has a pronounced diuretic effect, removing excess fluid, toxins and salts from the body.
It is recommended to include it in the diet for diabetes of any type, diseases of the joints and increased bone fragility. But you need to eat asparagus grown by yourself within 4-5 days after cutting. Then most of the nutrients are lost. The same thing happens with canning and freezing.
Asparagus is rich in vitamins A, C, E, K, PP, group B, organic acids, fatty oils, alkaloids. High fiber content is also characteristic. From trace elements, copper, iron, sodium, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and zinc can be distinguished. Folic acid makes it an indispensable product for pregnant women. It prevents the development of pathologies of the fetus and reduces the risk of miscarriage. And all this at an extremely low calorie content - 21-30 kcal per 100 g.
The product is also in demand in cosmetology. Argentine Asparagus Juice can be used to cleanse, nourish and soften the skin. In folk medicine, it is used to combat old coarse corns and small warts, healing wounds, ulcers and burns.
Health information about asparagus is controversial. It is believed that with its prolonged and immoderate use, oxalic acid accumulates in the body, which can provoke the development of bile and urolithiasis in the presence of a genetic predisposition to this, irritate the mucous membranes of the digestive system, and cause deposition of salts in the joints. Another not-too-pleasant consequence is a change in the smell of sweat due to the release of sulfur compounds by the glands.
For children under two years old, asparagus is not recommended. Heavy fiber is poorly digested by a fragile stomach. It is also rare, but allergy is possible.
Asparagus can be used to prepare a variety of delicious and healthy dishes. It is an integral component of English, Italian, German cuisine. In addition to fresh consumption, asparagus is cooked on the grill, steamed, boiled. It is part of stew recipes, soups, salads, used as a filling for pies.
Salad with asparagus - just a storehouse of vitamins and minerals, in addition, it is very tasty
Video: Asparagus Health Benefits
Bed preparation
The place for planting asparagus on the garden plot is chosen very carefully. This perennial plant forms an extremely powerful root system over time. To uproot it manually later will not work with all desire.
This plant loves sunlight and heat, respectively, the site should be open. But at the same time, protection against gusts of cold wind is mandatory. It is desirable that a meter and a half from the asparagus plantings there is a wall, a fence, a "wings" from tall plants, a hedge, and so on. It will not obscure the garden, but will cover it from sharp drafts.
Asparagus loves warmth and sunlight, this must be taken into account when choosing a place for it
A fertile, but heavy substrate is not the best option for Argentel. Asparagus loves nutritious soil, but with good aeration, letting water through. In clay, silty, peaty soil, chernozem, it will not yield good yields.
To plant crops in the autumn, they dig a trench about a bayonet with a depth of shovels. It is half filled with humus or rotted compost mixed with approximately equal volume of peat crumb and half as large - coarse sand. At the bottom, a drainage layer of at least 3-5 cm thick is required. Crushed stone of fine fractions, pebbles, clay shards, expanded clay is suitable for this.
An asparagus bed must be prepared in advance
As for acidity, the substrate should be neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 6.5-7.5). Dolomite flour, slaked lime, raw egg shells crushed to a powder state are added to acidic soil, and fresh sawdust of coniferous trees or peat are added to alkaline soil.
Dolomite flour is a natural deoxidizer of the soil, if the dosage recommended by the manufacturer is observed, it does not have side effects
The following spring, the nutrient mixture at the bottom of the trench is well loosened and in the process mineral fertilizers are applied, planting them in the soil. Before planting seedlings should remain at least a month. You can use complex preparations containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus (Diammofoska, Azofoska) or make these macronutrients separately. In the first case, about 100 g / m² will be needed, in the second - 50 g of simple superphosphate, 40 g of potassium nitrate and 20 g of urea. Of the fertilizers of natural origin, you can use wood ash (0.5 l / m²). Fertile soil mixed with humus is poured on top, forming a ridge 7-10 cm high.
Humus is an effective means to improve soil fertility
Drainage and a raised bed will help to avoid stagnation of water at the roots. Asparagus Argentel, like its other "relatives" categorically does not tolerate waterlogged substrate. The roots in this case quickly rot, the plant dies. The same thing happens if groundwater comes closer to the surface than a meter.
When planting several bushes of asparagus Argentel immediately, you need to consider that each of them requires about 0.25 m² of area for food. The interval between them is at least 60 cm, the distance between the rows is 120-150 cm. On 1 m², thus, it is possible to place no more than 3-4 plants.
When planting asparagus on the garden bed, be sure to observe the interval between plants
The holes for them are made large enough, with a depth of 30-35 cm and about the same diameter. Plantings are rather rare, the area of asparagus is large, and the yield is poor. To save space on the plot, between rows and between plants, you can plant greens, onions, garlic, radishes, cherry tomatoes, and vegetable beans.
Many gardeners refuse to plant asparagus also because they do not have enough space on the site - the crop area is large, and the yield is not different
Planting seeds for seedlings and in the ground
Most often, gardeners grow asparagus seedlings to get a faster crop, and only then transplant it into open ground. This is more reliable, because the germination of Argentine asparagus seeds leaves much to be desired.
Asparagus seeds can be collected on their own, they also require preplanting
Before planting, the seeds must be soaked for two to three days in soft water, heated to a temperature of 30-35 ° C. She will need to be changed every day. The shell of the seeds is quite dense, it is necessary that it is "softened". Then they are wrapped before germination in a paper or linen cloth moistened with a solution of any root stimulant, and the container is kept warm, regularly moistening the material as it dries. The best option is a heating battery or other heating device. A similar effect is provided by purchased biostimulants (Epin, Heteroauxin, Emistim-M), and folk remedies (honey, aloe juice, succinic acid). It is advisable to cover the container with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect. In this case, it will have to be aired several times.
Epin - one of the most common biostimulants
Sprouts of Argentel have to wait long enough, at least a month and a half. Therefore, for seedlings, seeds are sown early, back in February. The entire growing procedure is stretched for 3-3.5 months.
Asparagus is planted in separate plastic cups or small containers. The first option is preferable. Be sure to have drainage holes at the bottom. Peat pots are not very suitable for this crop. Argentine Asparagus requires abundant watering, they get wet, mold develops.
Asparagus seeds do not need to be deeply buried, maximum 1-1.5 cm
The containers are filled with a mixture of universal soil for seedlings with humus and peat crumb in a ratio of 2: 2: 1. The substrate before this must be disinfected, freezing on the balcony in winter, spilling boiling water or a dark purple solution of potassium permanganate, steaming. To avoid the development of fungal diseases, add activated carbon or chalk, crushed to a powdery state. Enough a tablespoon of two liters.
Seeds are buried by a maximum of 1-1.5 cm, maintaining between them an interval of 5-6 cm. Next, be patient. Until the shoots appear, the containers are kept in a dark warm place at a constant temperature of 25-27 ° С. It is advisable to provide lower heating. To create a greenhouse effect and speed up the process, you need to cover the cups with a transparent film or glass. At least once a day, the planting is ventilated, preventing condensation from accumulating.
Asparagus seedlings will have to wait a long time, this is due to their early planting for seedlings
The first shoots resemble small green needles. They need to be sprinkled with a thin layer of peat crumb. After this, the containers with asparagus are transferred closer to the window, but not the windowsill. The seedlings do not need bright lighting at this time, but the cold coming from the window glass can greatly harm them.
Sprouts that reach a length of 10 cm, similar to fluffy "Christmas trees", begin to grow cold under their own weight. To prevent them from lying on the ground, establish supports from thin sticks, but very carefully - the roots of the plants are extremely delicate. Another option to "raise" seedlings is to fertilize. Any complex store fertilizers for seedlings are suitable. The nutrient solution is prepared in strict accordance with the instructions given by the manufacturer. Asparagus responds very well to top dressing, sharply (up to several centimeters per day), the growth rate increases, and the seedling's demand for water and sunlight also increases. Soon he will simply outgrow his own pot. Therefore, it is still advisable to primarily use supports, and resort to dressing only if the plant does not look too healthy.
The aspiring asparagus seedlings need support or top dressing, the former is preferable
Seedling care is reduced to watering, which is carried out as the topsoil dries up and the substrate is loosened. Also, the capacity must be rotated by 40-45 ° every 5-7 days, without changing the direction of movement. Asparagus seedlings tend to reach the sun. You can’t let her put together. If seedlings are grown in one cup, they are dived when they grow to 15 cm in height.The distance between them is at least 10 cm. Planting material must be extracted from the soil together with a lump of earth on the roots, trying to minimize damage to it.
Asparagus is ready to land in the ground when it grows to about 30 cm in height and begins to branch. By this time, the roots have already mastered the entire space of the pot, woven into a dense ball. Therefore, the plant is planted in the ground with an earthen lump. To make it easier to remove the seedlings from the cups, about half an hour before the procedure, they need to be abundantly watered.
Adult asparagus seedlings are transferred to the bed along with an earthen lump on the roots
Asparagus seedlings need to be quenched. So that after transplanting into open ground, it quickly adapts to new living conditions, they begin to take it out into the open air about a week before. At first, an hour of staying on the street daily is enough for her, then the time is gradually extended to 8-10 hours. And in the last two or three days, seedlings are generally left to "spend the night" in the open.
Video: planting asparagus seeds for seedlings and further care for seedlings
The procedure is planned at a time when the threat of spring return frost is already approaching zero. Seedlings will not tolerate even a short-term decrease in temperature of negative values. In the middle zone of Russia, this is usually the second half of May, in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, the landing can be moved even to the beginning of June.
The roots of the plants are shortened by about 3-4 cm, cutting the "fringe" on a coma of the earth. Wells previously spilled with warm water are covered with fertile soil. Then the substrate is tamped and water the plants well again, spending a liter of water for each. When moisture is absorbed, the plants are mulched with humus or peat.
Mulch on the bed retains moisture in the soil and saves the gardener time for weeding
Seeds are planted in the garden as soon as the snow falls, and the soil warms up enough to be loosened. The preplant preparation described above is required. There is another option for landing in the winter. They are buried in the soil by 2–3 cm in both cases. The interval between seeds is 5–6 cm. In autumn, a layer of humus with a thickness of 8–10 cm must be poured on top, and then snowed the bed.
A good option for asparagus is a warm bed. In the spring, it thaws much faster. In the fall, humus is mixed up into the soil to a depth of 25-30 cm, mixed with leaves and fertile turf in approximately equal proportions. All this is poured with warm (30-35 ° C) water with the addition of superphosphate (35-40 g per 10 l) and covered with a layer of ordinary earth 8-10 cm thick.
Before emergence, the bed with asparagus is tightened with plastic wrap. After - a shelter is built above it, pulling on the arcs a covering material that allows air to pass through. Remove it no earlier than the average daily temperature is set at 12-15 ° C.
The cultivation of asparagus in open ground from seeds is more often practiced in warm southern regions.
At first, asparagus does not differ in growth rate. If in the first year the seedlings add about 15 cm and form 2-4 shoots, this is normal. All the forces so far go to the development of the root system. During the summer, seedlings regularly weed, the soil in the garden loosened. Asparagus is watered as the topsoil dries. Two to three times during the season of active vegetation make top dressing - a solution of any mineral nitrogen-containing fertilizer (25 g per 10 l of water). Upon reaching a height of 10 cm, seedlings are thinned out, increasing the interval between adjacent plants to 10-15 cm.
The first few years, the aerial part of asparagus planted in the ground practically does not develop, for culture this is normal
Crop Care Tips
Asparagus, in spite of the fact that gardeners consider it a whimsical exotic culture, for the care of which you need to spend a lot of time and effort, is actually surprisingly unpretentious.
Watering, in fact, is required only during the first two seasons of Argentinean asparagus in the open field. Then the plant due to the developed root system will be able to provide itself with moisture on its own, pulling it out from the deep layers of the soil. The exceptions are heat and prolonged drought, especially during the ripening of shoots. If you do not water the plants, coarse fibers appear in the shoots, they acquire a noticeable bitter aftertaste.
Young plants are watered so as to constantly maintain the substrate in a slightly wet state, while not turning it into a swamp. The intervals between the procedures depend on how warm it is outside and how often it rains.
Freshly planted asparagus in the garden is watered during the first 12-14 days daily, spending 0.5-0.7 liters of water on the plant. Then, the intervals between irrigation increases to 4-6 days. Each time after the procedure, the substrate is loosely (5-6 cm) loosened, peat crumbs are added to the base of the stems. As necessary, renew the entire layer of mulch on the bed.
Drop watering is suitable for many garden crops, asparagus is no exception
For young plants, drip irrigation is best. The roots of adult asparagus go deep into the ground, so it is advisable for her to build an irrigation system like the one suitable for grapes. Pieces of plastic pipes of small diameter are dug into the soil, water flows through them.
The roots of asparagus go very deep into the soil; a watering system that is familiar to winegrowers helps to deliver water to them
To asparagus Argentel retained its inherent snow-white color of shoots, hilling is carried out. The first time the procedure is carried out when it adds 15-20 cm in height. It will also slow down the development of the apical kidney and the transformation of the young shoot into a stiff stalk, already unfit for food.
In the spring, asparagus needs nitrogen to get out of hibernation and actively build green mass. Fertilizers containing this macrocell need to be applied 2-3 times. It can be both mineral (carbamide, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate), and natural (infusion of fresh cow manure, chicken droppings, nettle greens and dandelions) top dressing.
Urea, like other nitrogen-containing fertilizers, stimulates asparagus to actively build green mass
The first make both in dry form and in the form of a solution (15-20 g per 10 liters of water). The second before use must be filtered and diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 8 or 1:15, if litter was used as raw material.
Nettle infusion - a completely natural and completely free fertilizer
In the middle of July, any complex fertilizer for horticultural crops is introduced. In preparation for winter - potassium and phosphorus. The last top dressing is also distributed on a bed in a dry form or a solution is prepared from 40-50 g of superphosphate and 25-30 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters. There is also a natural alternative - wood ash. It is sprinkled to the base of the stems or watered the soil with infusion (0.5 l of raw material per 3 l of hot water).
Wood ash - a natural source of potassium and phosphorus
Video: Asparagus Growing Tips
Argentzhelskaya's frost resistance is not bad, even for the Urals, Siberia and other regions that fully deserve the name "risky farming zone". Nevertheless, she needs shelter for the winter. First of all, in the middle of autumn, all yellowed and drooping branches are cut, leaving "hemp" 5-7 cm high. Then the plants are spudded, sprinkling mounds of humus or peat crumb (20-25 cm). In order not to lose asparagus in the garden, you can stick a small peg next to each specimen. In spring, when the soil thaws, it is neatly loosened in this place.
Somewhere in mid-autumn, the yellowed shoots of asparagus cut short
Experienced gardeners recommend covering the ground not with individual bushes, but with the entire trench in which asparagus is grown. The height of the beds, thus, increases annually. This allows, firstly, to protect the roots from freezing, and secondly, to create an environment for the development of the root system.
After sheltering the bed is mulched, falling asleep with foliage or spruce branches. If winter is forecasted to be especially harsh and lightly snowy, it is additionally tightened with several layers of burlap or any breathable covering material. It is also advisable to throw snow on top as soon as it falls enough.
Toward the end of autumn, the asparagus bed should look something like this
In the spring, shelter is removed only when the positive temperature is established. If spring return frosts are still expected, you can first make several ventilation holes in the material that covers the garden bed.
Harvested for the first time no earlier than three years after planting asparagus in open ground. As a rule, by this time the plant forms 9-12 shoots, but no more than two can be cut.
The ripening shoots of asparagus Argentel need to be cut off every 3-4 days, they quickly coarse
Subsequently, they are carefully cut or broken out at a height of 2-3 cm above the soil level. It is important in the process not to damage the rhizomes and growth buds. It is possible to determine whether the asparagus has ripened or not, according to the state of the soil in the garden. Above the shoots ready for cutting, it rises up a hill, sometimes even cracks. The substrate in this place is shoveling, then the plant is again spud. By the way, such a procedure successfully replaces loosening the beds. Experienced gardeners can cut the shoot "to the touch", without even violating the soil layer, using a knife with a long blade.
Asparagus shoots are cut, raking the soil at their base, and the aerial part is edible, but it does not have the inherent flavor of the variety Argentel
After about two weeks, the period of "bearing" in young specimens ceases. In adults, it stretches for about a month or a little more. From now on, asparagus should be allowed to grow quietly, preparing for winter and laying growth buds for the next season. Therefore, it is undesirable to cut its branches, for example, for bouquets. This greatly weakens the plant, and after a year the shoots may simply not mature.
Asparagus greens are very decorative, but if you want to get the crop regularly, it is better to refrain from cutting it at the end of the "fruiting"
Store asparagus exclusively in hermetically sealed plastic bags or wrapped in a wet cloth. Otherwise, the shoots very quickly lose moisture. Keep them in the refrigerator, away from any smelling foods. Asparagus absorbs odors even through polyethylene. It is better that she lay horizontally. When stored in an upright position, the shoots are deformed, strongly bending. They will keep the taste qualities for 2-3 weeks, but most of the benefits are literally lost within a few days.
Argentel Asparagus is not stored for a long time, however, this is a common drawback of all varieties of culture
Video: Asparagus Harvest
Most pests bypass asparagus. This is also due to the fact that the plant growing season begins early enough, many of them simply did not have time to get out of hibernation by this time, and the new generation hatch from eggs and larvae that hibernated in soil.
An exception is such an "omnivorous" insect as aphids. Small pests of different shades of yellow-green literally cling to the plants, paying special attention to the tops of the shoots and fruit ovaries. They suck juice from the tissues, the affected areas are covered with many small beige spots that are clearly visible in the lumen.
To scare away aphids, which can’t tolerate sharp strong odors, rosemary, sage, basil and other spicy herbs are planted near the beds with asparagus. Having discovered the first insects on plants, infusions are prepared from greens, which are regularly sprayed with plantings and soil in the garden. If prophylaxis is enough every 10-12 days, then to combat aphids, the intervals between procedures are reduced to 8-10 hours.
Aphids - one of the most "universal" garden pests, asparagus, she also will not pass by
Specific pests of the culture are asparagus leaf beetle (a small red-blue bug feeding on greenery and the fruits of the plant) and asparagus fly (yellowish-brown insect, whose larvae eat out longitudinal “tunnels” in shoot tissues).
The asparagus leaf beetle is a pretty bug, but it causes significant damage to the landings.
To protect against adults, a sticky tape for catching flies or homemade traps (pieces of cardboard, glass, plywood, smeared with petroleum jelly, honey) are hung next to the bed. The soil is sprayed with Bitoxibacillin or Lepidocide or dusted with a mixture of wood ash with tobacco chips and ground pepper. Having discovered the pest, they use general-acting insecticides - Inta-Vir, Fury, Aktaru, Fufanon, Mospilan.
Landing damage is caused not by adult asparagus flies, but by its larvae
The fungal diseases of the Argentine asparagus are also rarely infected. She has good immunity. But this does not apply to rust. Affected specimens practically stop in development, do not give new shoots. The stems turn yellow already in the middle of summer, the growth buds die off. A characteristic feature is a bright "fleecy" plaque of saffron color, gradually hardening and changing color to rusty brown.
Rust is a disease more characteristic of fruit trees and berry bushes, but asparagus is not immune from it.
For prevention, it is useful to periodically replace irrigation water with a pinkish solution of potassium permanganate. The soil in the garden is sprinkled with colloidal sulfur, the plants themselves - with ash or crushed chalk. Having found suspicious symptoms, copper-containing drugs, fungicides, are used. The least environmental side effects are those of biological origin - Ridomil-Gold, Bayleton, Tiovit-Jet, Strobi. If the problem is noticed on time, 3-4 treatments with an interval of 4-6 days are enough.
Asparagus can also be affected by root rot. The gardener himself is often to blame for this, too often and / or abundantly watering the beds. The danger of the fungus is that for a long time it develops only on the roots, not showing up on the aerial parts. Only when the disease has already gone too far does the base of the stems seem to “get wet”, become slimy to the touch, an unpleasant putrefactive smell appears.
It is almost impossible to notice the development of root rot of asparagus on time
It is already impossible to save such a plant. It must be immediately uprooted and burned, thus eliminating the source of the spread of the infection. The soil in this place is shed with a dark purple solution of potassium permanganate or 5% copper sulfate for disinfection. If you still managed to notice the disease on time, watering is reduced to the required minimum, ordinary water is replaced with a solution of Alirin-B or Baikal-EM. Granules of Trichodermin, Glyocladin or Entobacterin are introduced into the soil.
Gardeners reviews
In early November, sowed the seeds of asparagus Argentel, to test the germination. I liked the germination - all 8 of the planted ascended. She prepared the substrate herself: two parts of garden soil (from the place where I subsequently propose to plant asparagus for permanent residence), two parts of leaf, one part of humus. This year I tried my Argentine asparagus planted with seedlings. Hmm ... For me, it will remain a magnificent shade of the grandeur of the incense and the amazing beauty of the heichera in the garden. I'm not a foodie ...
Glowworm//www.sadiba.com.ua/forum/archive/index.php/t-1422.html
Asparagus is a perennial cold-resistant plant; shoots, which are a valuable food product, grow from its rhizome. Asparagus lowers blood pressure, good for the heart and liver. Young shoots, in which juicy and tender flesh, are mainly consumed. I grow Argentel'skaya variety, it is early ripening, very tasty, but reaches almost two meters in height.
Hellyna//forum.rmnt.ru/threads/sparzha.97091/
Last year, I decided to grow asparagus. I bought seeds of the Argentel variety from Aelita. Soaked, landed in a pot. When the sprouts were about 5 cm in height, I drove to the country, to the garden. In the first year, asparagus looked like decorative “Christmas trees” in my mother’s garden with flowers (the ones that used to decorate bouquets).We looked at them and wondered if the vegetable was growing at all. "Fir-trees" wilted by winter, we cut them off. And in the spring they still found shoots - the very ones! True, still very thin! After a year, harvesting is not recommended. This asparagus is a long-lasting perennial. It has been growing and producing crops for 20 years. Ripens in May - at the very beginning of the season, which is immensely happy. The Belarusian climate was absolutely supportive. I recommend a closer look at this culture! It’s healthy, tasty, without any extra effort!
Love//otzovik.com/review_4899132.html
I grow asparagus Argentel (from seed), solely for culinary purposes. I didn’t touch the first 2-3 years, then they began to cut it in the spring for food, part of the “panicles” remains, in the autumn I cut everything, mulch with compost.
Marchella//www.websad.ru/archdis.php?code=530102
I sowed the seeds of the Argentine asparagus last year. I read that the seeds germinate for a long time (it turned out that way), but I read about the ways to accelerate germination after I sowed it in cups. In general, if nothing is done, it rises in about a month. And the last "slow-thinking" certainly got out in a month. He took two packs, sowed two seeds each and it turned out, it seems, about forty cups. Asparagus shoots are similar to smaller white shoots of adult asparagus with a photo on a pack of seeds. In order for the seeds to sprout, he tried to maintain an ambient temperature of about 25ºС. On warm sunny days he took out a box to the street. I sowed already late, in mid-April, and the first seedlings appeared on May 11. In a good way, probably sowing in February - that’s it. After germination, the seedlings provided good illumination. Gradually accustomed them to street temperatures - began to leave to spend the night on the street and at the beginning of June (only by this time the seedlings had reached the required 20-30 cm in height), it was possible to plant them on the site in fertile beds. By the way, they don’t write anywhere, but it turned out that the winter scoop was not averse to mowing young asparagus stalks irrevocably. At this age, when asparagus has only the first and only stem from the root, its loss leads to the death of the plant. From the winter scoop, I lost four asparagus plants. By September (in the Krasnodar Territory), my asparagus had grown rapidly. Several plants bloomed, two bushes even formed berries, which means that, in a good way, these bushes need to be destroyed, since women, as I read, give a smaller crop and berries - a way to seize the whole plot of asparagus by self-sowing. In November, I cut dried panicles, leaving stumps 5 cm high from the ground, topped up a little soil on top and covered with foliage of trees.
Vitt87//www.forumhouse.ru/threads/4198/page-3
Extremely healthy asparagus is easy to grow on your own personal plot. Variety Argentel is characterized by undemanding care, stable "fruiting" and early ripening. He brings the crop for 15-20 years. This is almost the first thing that ripens in the garden, shoots are cut in May. In addition, beautiful fluffy plants, "Christmas trees" also decorate the site. The disadvantage of the culture is the short shelf life, but this is a characteristic feature of all its varieties.
