Cover crop for asparagus
 

A few years ago i read somewhere of a person growing a low growing plant over his asparagus beds to suppress weeds as a living mulch, but i just cant remember what that plant was.Is there anyone out there who may have some ideas :idea:
Richard

My mom grew asparagus for years and we never worried about weeds as the stuff chocked out everything.

Some folks use buckwheat and others use a low growing legume such as clover.
I like the idea of using a thick layer of compost to suppress weeds and in this way you are blanching the shoots so you can get white asparagus.
I don’t have asparagus at my place at this time

I don’t know a thing in world about the climate where you live but I did find a good all around site on asparagus with pictures to boot.

.I think it should answer most of your questions.
[URL]http://extension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06405.htm[/URL]


Worth

How far apart did your mom grow her asparagus plants, maybe my ones are to far apart =weeds?
I know of a old wild plant (20 -30 years old) that grows on the side of the road in amongst long grass and it does really well,so maybe they can handle it better once they are more established.
In that link Worth it said about using buckweed etc,but thats more for weed control before establishing young plants.But i do think the cover is worth a try for its low growing enough to allow the shoots through and would also maintain fertility, The down side would be they would need to watered more often.
Using a compost layer is a great idea thats if you don`t have black birds...flying chocks as i call them,they can move just so much compost around looking for worms,they are very hard on gardens the little buggers


Richard

A liberal layer of manure or compost in spring and fall, covered over with leaves is all the cover my asparagus gets.

I'd be reluctant to plant a cover crop cause I'd be likely to try to till there.

YMMV