Main Asparagus Producing Regions and Recommended Easy-to-Grow Varieties
Asparagus is named for its edible young shoots, which resemble reed sprouts and bamboo shoots. It is widely recognized as the “king of vegetables” and an “anti-cancer health food.” So where are asparagus produced? Which varieties are easy to grow?
1. Where are asparagus produced?
The main asparagus-producing countries are the United States, France, China, Spain and Japan. In China, wild asparagus is distributed from north to south, densely in mountainous forest areas, while no distribution has been seen in non-forest areas from west to east.
The main regions for cultivated asparagus include Taiwan, China, Fujian, Shandong, Shanxi, Jiangxi, Jiangsu and other areas.
2. Which asparagus varieties are easy to grow?
1. Asparagus varieties
Asparagus is a perennial plant. A single planting can be harvested continuously for more than ten years, so the quality of the variety will affect the yield and quality of asparagus throughout its entire life cycle and determine the success or failure of its cultivation.
At present, the relatively easy-to-grow varieties mainly include:
(1) American varieties
Apollo, Grande, Atlas, the UC series (UC125, UC139, UC142, UC155), Mary · Washington 500W, California 72, California 800, California 157, the “Jersey” series, etc.
(2) Dutch varieties
Franklin, Gijnlim, Bojlim, THIELIM, GIJNLIM, Limburg 10, etc.
(3) Japanese varieties
Welcome, Accel, Shuwii, Green Tower, etc.
(4) Domestic varieties
“Lu Asparagus No. 1”, “Asparagus Prince F1”, J2-2, WF-8, Improved 88-5, Green Abundance, Champion F1, Shuofeng F1, 2000-3, Weizi P-7 and other varieties.
2. Asparagus cultivation methods
(1) Site selection
The seedbed requires fertile sandy loam with good drainage and aeration. Apply 5000 kg of farmyard manure, 20 kg of urea, 5 kg of superphosphate and 12.5 kg of potassium chloride per mu, then add an appropriate amount of lime to disinfect the soil and reduce pests and diseases.
(2) Seed treatment
Mix 50 g of carbendazim with 12.5 kg of water and 5 kg of seeds. After 24 hours, scoop them out, rinse clean, then soak the seeds in clean water or warm water at 25-30°C for two days, changing the water 1-2 times a day. Then scoop them out to germinate and sow once the radicles show white.
(3) Sowing
Sowing can be done in spring or autumn. Autumn sowing is preferable, in early to mid-October to November, when the temperature is around 25°C. Cover with plastic film after sowing. Use 1.5-2.5 kg of seed per mu of seedlings, sow in drills, with a row spacing of 15-25 cm, a furrow depth of 2 cm and a seed spacing of 3-5 cm, then cover with about 2 cm of fine soil. Cover the seedbed with wet grass and water frequently before emergence to keep the bed soil moist. When the seedlings are 1-2 cm tall, the covering grass can be removed. After 20 days, the seedlings will be fully emerged, and the first fertilizer application can be made, then once a month thereafter, with 4 kg of urea and 2.5 kg of potassium chloride each time.
(4) Field management
Asparagus likes moisture but fears waterlogging. If humidity is too high, it will cause the root mass to rot; if humidity is too low, drought will cause poor plant growth. Therefore, watering must be controlled.
In addition, fertilizer should be applied in stages. When the first batch of young stems sprouts and emerges in early spring, apply 4-5 kg/667 sq m of compound fertilizer and 50-60 kg/667 sq m of plant ash, applied in furrows combined with intertillage. After that, a batch of young stems is produced every 30-40 d, and fertilizer should be applied accordingly, with 5-6 kg/667 sq m of urea.
Overall, asparagus can be harvested for more than 12 years from a single planting. Usually, shoots can be harvested 10-12 months after planting. In the first few years after planting, 500-800 kg can be harvested, and market sales are good. It is a very low-effort planting project.