Salt and Asparagus

rustyacres sd · Apr 13, 2015

Been gone for two weeks for the (step)daughters wedding and once back, cleared out all the old growth asparagus and getting the patched cleaned up. Surprised to see a few spears already showing up. Ran the 1 section drag through the patch a few times to loose the ground. Was planning on doing (trying) the salt trick to keep weeds and grass down. Was wondering, if I spread the salt on the ground with the asparagus already up, would it harm the plant. I know the salt neutralizes the ground which grass and weeds do not like.

Was waiting on my gardener friend who has the applicator license to put down some atrazine, but since the spears are already up, i am quessing it is a no no to apply when growth is going on.

Thanks

David G · Apr 13, 2015

Mine are coming up do, I doused the grass and clover good with round up late last summer.

BushogPapa · Apr 13, 2015

Course Salt is good but don't put enough down to get the Deer pawing at it..!!

Ron.

Dave in Tx · Apr 13, 2015

I used cattle salt dissolved in water on mine this year. Put a bunch of loose salt on it last year and didn't kill a single weed. Mixed 10 lbs in 30 gals of water and soaked it this year early and haven't any grass or weeds yet this year. Asparagus doing well so far. Getting lots of cuttings so far. Put 15 lbs of salt on it last yr and watered it in and did nothing. I was shocked it could take so much. I think it will only keep weeds from germinating. Time will tell.

Bret4207 · Apr 14, 2015

Don;t go overboard on the salt or you will kill the asparagus too. Asparagus is salt TOLERANT, but salt is not a fertilizer or nutrient for any plant.

rustyfarmall · Apr 14, 2015

We use plain old table salt. Cheapest stuff we can find. Spread it on thick enough that it is visible until the rain carries it in. We apply it more than once through the growing season. Makes no difference if the asparagus is still dormant, just peeking through, or big enough to harvest. We also apply a generous helping of 20-20-20 lawn and garden fertilizer in the early spring, and again in late summer. Heavy on the generous. We're in southwest Iowa. We've already had it for supper twice now, and can probably get some more tomorrow.

No, salt is not fertilizer, but it is a nutrient, and obviously asparagus needs that nutrient.

John B. · Apr 14, 2015

I use no weed killer on my asparagus for the last 18 years. I only use salt. I put 40 pounds on one a 35 foot long row. I have 4 rows so I use 4 bags. Dragging the harrow over it now you probably damaged most of the crowns that were ready to poke thru so you most likely set it back by 2 weeks.

In the spring like 3 weeks ago I spread salt and took the tiller to work it in about an inch to an inch and a half. It's weed free most of the summer. I make another 1/2 application of salt in early fall. Asparagus is a sea weed and you're not going to hurt it with salt. It loves chicken manure also. I also use 12-12-12 fertilizer in the spring also. We raised asparagus at home for a living and you can't kill it unless you cut it too much and don't let some of the stalks grow to complete their life cycle. Stop cutting June 1st. I would not spray roundup on the weeds because that will kill any asparagus it touches.

Bret4207 · Apr 15, 2015

As I understand it, what the salt does is stunt or kill the weeds and dry the soil around it. That's all. Asparagus is tolerant of salt and it's deep rooted. Salt as a plant nutrient? I'm skeptical. If it was a nutrient then we'd have better growing grasses all along or heavily slated roads here in the northeast. Instead we have stunted growth.

rustyfarmall · Apr 15, 2015

(quoted from post at 04:20:18 04/15/15)
As I understand it, what the salt does is stunt or kill the weeds and dry the soil around it. That's all. Asparagus is tolerant of salt and it's deep rooted. Salt as a plant nutrient? I'm skeptical. If it was a nutrient then we'd have better growing grasses all along or heavily slated roads here in the northeast. Instead we have stunted growth.

Salt is a nutrient. Not necessarily a plant nutrient in general, but asparagus seems to like it.

Salt and Asparagus

rustyacres sd

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David G

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BushogPapa

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Dave in Tx

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Bret4207

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rustyfarmall

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John B.

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Bret4207

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rustyfarmall

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