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Vegetable Gardening

Asparagus salt tolerance

another_buffalo

12 years ago

I had a wonderful Easter meal last year that had fresh asparagus from my friend's garden. After dinner, we wondered through her garden. The long line of asparagus was in the middle of her lawn and yet the grass had not invaded the bed. She explained that the grass could not tolerate salt, but asparagus did, so the bed was lined with salt on each side as she had been told by an 'oldtimer' to do.

Later in the summer, grass invaded my new asparagus patch, now I will have to try to get it out. I'm wondering if I can just sprinkle salt over the whole raised bed? Does anyone have experiance at how much salt asparagus can tolerate?

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Comments (2)

laceyvail 6A, WV
12 years ago
I have been using salt on my asparagus bed ever since it developed fusarium crown rot which I discovered 4 years after I put in the bed. I use about 1/2-3/4 lb food grade rock salt late winter on a bed maybe 20 feet long. I have quick draining sandy soil.

Asparagus is one of the most salt tolerant plants known and for generations, growers controlled weeds by salting. When chemical pre-emergents entered the market after WWII, growers switched and then fusariaum crown and root rots began to invade beds. Salt prevents the fusarium rots, and as I can attest, also cures it You might want to take a look at the following:

Ã¢ÂÂ Rock Salt Supresses Fusarium Crown and Root Rot of AsparagusÃ¢ÂÂ: openagricola.nal.usda.gov/Record/IND92009783
another_buffalo
Original Author
12 years ago
Wow! Thank you so much for that information. I'll check out the article, but your advice is just what I needed.
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