Depth Of Planting

Contrary to the all but universal belief, asparagus is not a deep-rooted

plant. In the wild state its most frequent habitat is on the fertile

marshes of the shoreline in Europe, on ground but a few inches above the

tidewater which permeates the sandy subsoil. As the roots can not live

in water, they naturally grow to long distances parallel with the

surface and retain this habit under cultivation. The tendency of growth

in the asparagus roots in this direction is obviously demonstrated in

Fig. 14.



The proper depth of planting asparagus roots varies somewhat, according

to the character of the soil, the method of cultivation, and the kind of

spears desired, whether white or green. As the new crowns rise somewhat

above the old ones annually, it seems but rational that the plants

should have sufficient room for the new growths before their crowns

become even with the surface of the land. When the crown once comes near

the level of the soil it is impossible to give proper cultivation,

unless the entire bed be raised by adding soil to the whole surface.



While it is true that the deeper the crowns are planted the later they

will start in the spring, this is of account only during the first few

years. Besides, the factor of earliness is not of nearly as much

importance now as it was before northern markets were so bountifully

supplied with the southern grown crops several months before the opening

of the northern season. Shallow-planted asparagus sprouts earlier, but

soon exhausts itself, sending up spindling, tough shoots, while the

deeper-planted crowns produce large and succulent sprouts throughout the

season. When green asparagus is desired, and there is no danger of the

beetles eating the sprouts before they are fit for use, a depth of two

or three inches is sufficient, but for white or blanched asparagus a

depth of from eight to ten inches is necessary.