How to Grow Asparagus in Shade
Asparagus is a stemmed, perennial vegetable that will provide years of harvest. Asparagus can be planted by seed, but the little plants take up to three years to produce, so it is more common to purchase crowns that look like bundles of roots. The stems or spears are topped with a cluster of scales, which will become a ferny growth if allowed to remain on the plant. Although usually grown in sunny locations, the vegetable will tolerate partial shade but yield will suffer. Asparagus is a cool-season crop planted in spring and harvested the second spring. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tiller
- Sand
- Rake
- Shovel
- Fertilizer, 0-46-0
- Asparagus crowns
- Black plastic mulch
Instructions
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Till the bed to a depth of 12 inches. Asparagus will grow on any soil as long as it is well drained, so incorporate 3 inches of sand to increase the tilth. Use a rake to remove any roots or debris and then rake the soil into a raised bed that are at least 5 to 8 inches high. Raised beds also increase drainage and the soil will warm faster. You can prepare the bed in fall.
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Dig furrows that are 5 to 6 inches deep in the beds. Planting time for asparagus is around April or when soils have warmed to at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The crowns will not grow until the ground is warm, which is one disadvantage to planting in a shadier site. The sun will not be able to warm up the bed and soil must rely on ambient temperatures to get heat. This means that planting time in shade will be later than a sunny location.
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Apply 1 lb. of fertilizer per 50 feet of row. Sprinkle it into the bottom of the furrow. According to the Ohio State University, you can then just toss the crowns in the furrow 1 to 1 1/2 feet apart. The crowns will grow without spreading out the roots and the fertilizer will not burn the crowns.
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Fill in the furrows but do not compact the soil. Keep the soil evenly moist if there are no spring rains during establishment. Thereafter, asparagus needs no supplemental watering, especially in a shade bed that will not dry out as quickly as a full sun area. Also, the long roots will seek out deep moisture. Spread black plastic mulch between the rows to help the soil heat up and retain warmth. This is especially important in shady sites.
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Keep the bed weed free. Emergence will be within one week. Do not harvest the baby spears this year. Allow them to persist into fern stage to gather the sun's energy for the following year. A shady asparagus bed will not produce many spears and they will not be as deeply green, but they will still be tasty.
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References
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