When To Fertilize Asparagus? [Beginner Tips]

When to Fertilize Asparagus

It would be best to get the fertilization done around early spring when the spears haven’t emerged. You can then fertilize around the month of June once you harvest. This will ensure your asparagus has the best nutrient supply for their growth and development.

However, the reality is that this act will depend on the stage at which your plant is. Now, we’ll tell you the fertilizer needs of your asparagus plant across the various stages of its growth.

This way, you can provide comprehensive care to them and meet their nutrient requirements.

Stages of Asparagus Growth

Soil Preparation

This is the first stage of asparagus growth. Generally, this stage requires you to prepare the asparagus bed, the soil where your asparagus will lie.

This is particularly important because of the length that the plant will spend on the bed – between ten to fifteen years, and sometimes as many as 20 years. The ground or soil quality becomes extremely important.

During this stage, you’ll want to provide soil will optimum nutrients. This way, you can record high yields. One way to do this is through composting. It provides nutrients to your soil and also increases your soil fertility. 

You can easily add a compost layer 2 inches deep if you’ve got a bed for 12 inches of soil or less. You can decide to go for either composted manure or standard manure.

Young Plants

The next stage of your asparagus’s growth is as a young plant. Generally, this involves the three years that follow when you plant it.

At this stage, you’ll need to fertilize the soil to ensure that your plant gets the required nutrient to grow great. It also ensures that your plants can get rooted properly.

So, you want to use a balanced fertilizer. As such, it must contain an equal amount of potassium, phosphorous, and nitrogen. Usually, you can use a 15-15-15 concentration or a 10-10-10 blend.

You’ll then do well with 2 pounds of this fertilizer for a space measuring 100 square feet. Do this during early spring or mid-spring.

Mature Plants

The next stage is when your plant gets matured. This is from the fourth year of your plant’s growth.

Generally, you’ll need to maintain the same amount of fertilization as we did when the plant was at its early stage. However, you’ll need to apply the fertilizers at a different time.

You’ll need to do that around late spring after your last harvest or in early summer. Also, it would be best to increase the nitrogen component of the fertilizer.

So, you could switch to a 5-10-5 fertilizer composition in favor of nitrogen. 

How to Grow and Care Asparagus Tips