Skip to the navigation Skip to the content
Grüne Spargelspitzen die aus der Erde brechen
Icon eines dunkelgrünen Kreises mit der Kontur einer dreiblättrigen Pflanze
Swing

Cultivation of asparagus

Among vegetables, asparagus has a special status as a perennial crop. For economically successful asparagus cultivation, it is important that the grower ensures that the plants recover in the best possible way after picking. Healthy and well-nourished foliage is a prerequisite for it. This ensures that the reserve carbohydrates that have been used up are formed again. Therefore, a regular and sufficient supply of water must be ensured.

Asparagus plants store considerable amounts of nutrients in their extensive system of storage roots. In order for this to be sufficiently developed from the moment of planting, the plant should have all the nutrients it needs in the entire root zone. For this, it is necessary that no soil compaction and waterlogging impair root growth.

Availability of nutrients

Even if the soil is optimally supplied with nutrients, the provision of the asparagus plant with main, secondary and trace elements according to its needs is not always ensured. Many factors limit the availability and uptake from the soil, e.g. soil pH, drought, cold weather, soil compaction and/or waterlogging and nutrient interactions between the elements (e.g. too much potassium limits the availability and uptake of magnesium).

 

It is particularly important that the asparagus plants are continuously supplied with magnesium, manganese and boron throughout the season. If there is a deficiency of these elements, the asparagus reacts quite quickly with a reduction in assimilation performance (magnesium, manganese) or with a deterioration in the quality of the spears (boron).

Foliar fertilisation

To compensate for nutrient deficiencies, foliar fertilisation is a suitable means. Especially on the sandy, slightly acidic soils on which asparagus is mainly grown, and on soils with a high potassium content, as well as in cold and wet conditions, magnesium deficiency can occur. Magnesium deficiency is manifested by yellow phylocladia, which wither and die. Leaf treatments with Lebosol®-Magnesium 400 SC prevent this. Since sulphur can also be undersupplied at the same time, the combined use of magnesium + sulphur in Lebosol®-MagSOFT SC is recommended.

Boron deficiency can lead to hollow shoots in asparagus. In some years, this means a loss of up to 20% of marketable yield. Therefore, please ensure a good supply of boron. Since calcium is also a quality-determining element, you can also make this application with Lebosol®-Robustus SC (100 g B/l + 215 g Ca/l).