Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

Cutting the Roots of Asparagus for Planting Among Fruit Trees

Leave a Comment / asparagus, cutting the roots, intercropping with fruit trees /

Q. I see online some people cut the roots of asparagus before planting. I did this last year. Is it a good idea? I was thinking of planting asparagus at the base of fruit trees. It makes them easier to plant, but are there consequences? Asparagus can get 5 feet tall or taller after harvest. A. Your question is about cutting the roots of asparagus and what consequences might occur. I must guess since I don’t have much experience with that. They are both deep-rooted, so I don’t think there is a problem with irrigation and spear production provided the roots are covered with clean (no rocks) soil when replanted. It’s best to use clean soil directly above the roots. Rocky soil covering the roots may lead to the growth of “crooked spears”. The crown of asparagus will have to grow some new roots for storage. There is one major problem. It has to do with interference between the fruit tree and the asparagus. After the asparagus has been harvested, the shoots are allowed to “fern” up so they can gather energy for next year’s production and the roots can grow. These ferns can be 5 to 6 feet tall when they finish growing. I could see how these might grow up into the branches of the fruit trees. Ferns can be cut without any problems. Cutting the ferns will interfere slightly with the number spears you collect in the spring, but not much. Shade can be a problem when fruit trees are grown close together. This happens after about 4 to 6 years and it may be too dark for some plants. A minor problem (maybe??) is the amount of light available. As the fruit trees get larger, they will create more shade. The ferns will not collect as much sunlight in this location. Regarding the asparagus crowns competing with the fruit tree for “root space”, it’s true but not a huge problem if you don’t put too many crowns at the base of the tree and plant them where they will get light in the future. I think you are fine with 3 to 4 crowns planted there about 18 inches or so apart.

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Intercrop Plants With Roots That Grow to a Similar Depth

Leave a Comment / asparagus, intercropping with fruit trees, interplanting, pumpkins /

Q. I planted asparagus at the base of my fruit trees. I can send you pictures if you want. Asparagus is short when harvested. But allowed to grow tall in recovery. Some asparagus will grow 5 to 6 feet tall. A. Asparagus is a good thing to interplant with fruit trees, but it should be planted between the fruit trees, not at their base. They have similar watering needs, and their frequency of watering is very similar. That’s important.             There are three things to concern yourself when planting at the base of fruit trees; increasing the amount of water needed, height interference with lower fruit tree branches, and a decrease in light for the asparagus growing under the tree’s canopy. That decrease in light directly affects asparagus production. Intercropping between fruit trees requires light, water, and space. Here sesame is intercropped with fruit trees.             Now onto where it should be planted. Plant intercrops between fruit trees rather than around their base. If you do, they will get an increase in the amount of light they receive, and they can grow as tall as they like without interference from lower tree branches. Intercropping like this works well with melons, squash, perennial herbs, perennial fruit, and artichokes. Plants intercropped with fruit trees should have a deeper root system, require light and water.             Unless you are using drip tubing you will have to add emitters if grown between trees. Drip tubing (built-in drip emitters) allows the roots of trees to “follow” the water and provides a wet soil for interplanting until the trees start to shade the area. When grown between trees asparagus height won’t be a problem later in the season. Asparagus is allowed to get taller after the spring spear removal for fresh vegetables.

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Getting Asparagus Ready for Winter

Leave a Comment / asparagus, vegetables, winter /

Q. I’ve been getting e-mails about preparing asparagus ready for winter. They recommend cutting the stems 2″ above the ground, then apply compost then mulch.  Is that what I should be doing to get the plants ready for winter? When temperatures get cold and start to freeze, asparagus will turn brown, the tops die. Sometimes they stay green all winter long if we have a warm winter. A. That’s not what I liked to do with asparagus. I found that 2 inches of “stubble” created by cutting the stems above ground interfered with my work getting ready for next year’s spring crop. I preferred to cut this woody stem growth about an inch below the soil surface with a thick knife or asparagus knife on about January 1.  I prefer to cut the spears when I harvest them and sort them in the shed or kitchen. I find that the asparagus stubble scattered in the field interferes with walking and harvesting. https://www.harryepstein.com/asparagus-knife-usa-weeder.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA2sqOBhCGARIsAPuPK0jTKUY5H9kiydW_sFC5-Nf8fPNb1csto5wpHWzPw97TMJAXE-aI5SoaAjRlEALw_wcB If we have a cold winter these stems (called fronds) freeze and turn yellow. With a warm winter they stay green. Don’t reapply asparagus stems as a mulch to your old asparagus bed or to any vegetables due to allelopathy. I would burn it instead. Regardless of how they appear in the winter these ferns still need to be cut back to get ready for next year’s production. After they are cut and in late winter, a fertilizer such as rich compost or regular compost plus a mineral fertilizer high in nitrogen, needs to be applied. Asparagus loves rich soil. Bare Soil Warms Faster Bare soil warms up faster than a cold winter soil covered in mulch. A warmer soil means an earlier asparagus spear harvest. If you can keep an eye on your asparagus emergence, then apply the mulch when you first start seeing spears if you want early production and not earlier than this. Next year’s production can start as early as January. If you want production later in the spring, then mulch them immediately after you apply the compost or manure.

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