Detailed Explanation of Key Points of Asparagus Sowing and Seedling Raising Techniques

Good seedlings produce good spears; sowing and seedling raising are the foundation.

1 Seed soaking and germination

Asparagus seeds have a relatively thick seed coat and poor water absorption, so they need to be soaked and germinated before sowing. You can soak the seeds in a 700-fold dilution of 40% asparagus-qing, or in a 700-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim. Generally, soak for two to three days, changing the water once a day. Wash the soaked seeds clean with fresh water, and keep them moist for germination at 25-30°C. When 10% of the seeds have sprouted white, they are ready to be sown.

2 Sowing and seedling raising

In the Yangtze River Basin, sowing can be done three times a year: spring sowing from early April to early May; summer sowing from mid-May to early July; autumn sowing in mid-August, or after mid-September if protected cultivation facilities are available.

Choose sandy loam soil with good drainage and a loose, fertile texture for the seedbed. One week before sowing, apply 350 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 25 kg of compound fertilizer, and 1000 kg of a 700-fold dilution of 40% asparagus-qing per mu of seedbed, then plow deeply into the soil, prepare the land well, and make a seedbed 150 cm wide and 20 cm high.

When sowing, you can use dibbling or drilling. For dibbling, mark out the sowing holes at a row spacing of 10 cm and a plant spacing of 10 cm. Sow one seed per hole. Cover with crumbled soil and press down lightly.

If drilling is used, open a sowing furrow along the seedbed every 15-20 cm, with a furrow depth of 2-3 cm, sow one seed about every 10 cm in the furrow, and cover with a 1 cm layer of loose soil or burnt mud ash. After sowing, spray the seedbed with a 700-fold dilution of 40% asparagus-qing to sterilize and disinfect.

For spring seedling raising, temperatures are relatively low, so plastic greenhouses or small arched tunnels are needed to keep warm during seedling raising.

At around 20°C, the seedlings break through the soil after 3 weeks. After emergence, management should be strengthened. When raising seedlings under protected facilities, once the emergence rate reaches above 70%, ventilate in time to exchange air, especially at noon on sunny days, uncover the film to lower the temperature, increase light, and harden strong seedlings. After the seedlings reach 10 cm in height, weed and topdress in time. Every 10-15 days, spray once with a 600-fold dilution of 40% asparagus-qing to strengthen the seedlings and prevent disease. When the seedlings reach 20-25 cm in height, they are ready for transplanting.