Weeds are the bane of many farmer’s lives. They can grow incredibly fast, and have strong, tough roots that will suck out the nutrients from the soil that your precious vegetables should be using.
So how to keep weeds out of asparagus patch or beds? And how can we do this without killing the local ecosystem or harming other life forms such as bugs, birds and creepy crawlies?
We are here to show you the best ways of getting rid of weeds, and keeping them gone, for as long as it takes to raise delicious crops of strong, healthy vegetables.
What You'll Learn Today
How To Keep Weeds Out Of Asparagus Bed
Asparagus is not a plant that tolerates weeds well; it does not like to share its space! Once the plants have grown and produced their characteristic foliage they can shade the weeds out, but until that time you will have to help them protect themselves.
The most obvious way of keeping weeds out is to pluck them out as soon as you see them poking their heads up, but sometimes it can be tricky to find the time to do this, and your asparagus patch may be a forest by the time you get back to it!
- Mulch is your best friend when it comes to keeping weeds out. Spread a 2-3 inch layer down in the spring, straight after planting, to keep the weeds down (you should not use straw to mulch, as this can spread seeds).
- A hoe is another great, and easy, way of removing weeds. Simply run the implement over the bed to remove the weeds and their roots – this method is most effective when the weeds are tiny and have not spread too well.
- You can, if you are so inclined, use a shop bought weed killer – but this is not recommended as it can damage other plants and wildlife nearby, and disrupt the ecosystem.
- Salt is a great natural weed solution for asparagus. Asparagus is tolerant to salt, so applying it won’t damage your crop as it might with many other plants – it will just do for the weeds and leave your precious spears!
- You can also pour boiling water on any encroaching weeds; this will kill the plant as well as the roots, so it is an easy way of dealing with weeds. Just be careful to avoid the roots of your precious asparagus!
This video shows you the best way to use salt to keep weeds out of your asparagus plot, if salt is your chosen weed killing route:
Best Ways To Keep Weeds Out Of Vegetable Patch
Unfortunately, the best way to keep weeds out of a veg patch is to remove them by hand. There are, luckily, many implements and tools that make weed removal easier – but still the best way is to remove them, roots and all.
You can, if you are of a pyromaniac disposition, use a small flame gun to kill your weeds. This is an effective – and fun – way of removing your weeds, but you do have to be careful that you don’t damage any nearby plants that you want to keep.
Boiling water is also effective as a weed control; simply pour a small amount of water from a boiled kettle onto the weeds that you want to get rid of, and try to avoid the plants close by that you don’t want to kill.
Covering the areas around the plants you want to keep is a good method; you can cut holes that your vegetables can grow through to get the sunlight they need, while cutting it off from the ones that you don’t want.
Natural Weed Killing Solutions
It is not recommended to use weed killers on any part of your garden, because it can be very harmful to the ecosystem. Luckily, there are a great many natural solutions to your weed problem that won’t harm your asparagus.
1. Seaweed
Laying down seaweed in the winter will not only fertilize your soil and give nutrients to the growing plants, but the salt contained within the seaweed will help to keep the weeds down.
2. Weed Covering Fabric
You can buy this useful thing from many gardening stores or online; it covers the ground around the plants you want to grow, and chokes the weeds because they won’t receive any sunlight.
3. Manual Weeding
Ok, it’s not the most glamorous solution – but pulling out your weeds by hand is a very effective way of removing weeds from your asparagus patch.
4. Salt
Because asparagus is a more salt-hardy plant than many others, you can use salt to keep weeds down near your plant without worrying that it will damage your asparagus.
Companion Planting With Asparagus To Keep Weeds Down
Companion planting is a great way to grow your vegetables. It can encourage diversity, help get rid of pests, and it can also help to keep weeds down.
Companion planting can also encourage the growth of the plants and improve your final crops – as long as you plant the right plants with their suitable companions, that is!
Asparagus is paired perfectly with parsley and tomatoes, as these two plants can help to reduce the risk of pests, weeds and disease affecting your asparagus beds. The asparagus can also help keep pests away from your tomatoes.
Companion planting is an easy way to keep weeds and pests away, and it can give you better crops that if you were to do nothing. Give it a try – you might well get the best results you’ve ever had!
Final Thoughts
Weeds, in any vegetable patch, can be a big problem. Fortunately, as you can see, there are many ways to keep weeds out of your asparagus, and give them the best fighting chance that they could possibly have. Here is our guide on growing asparagus in a container if you are interested in learning more about this crop.
