Herbicides & Asparagus
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) are poor competitors with weeds. The exact same growing conditions that produce healthy asparagus also encourage the development of weeds that compete for nutrients in the soil and decrease plant yields. Herbicides are utilized to kill or control unwanted weeds in the asparagus bed. The University of California Integrated Pest Management Program classifies all herbicides as pesticides and supplies cautionary recommendations to their usage.
Asparagus Growing Conditions
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable plant that may yield for 10 or more years. It’s made up of a root program, crown and ferns. The edible parts of the plant — the spears — are immature ferns. They’re selected in early spring. Spears that aren’t harvested develop into ferns that manufacture and store energy for the next year’s harvest. Asparagus prosper in sandy, well-draining land having a pH level between 6.5 and 7.0. The acid-alkaline balance in soil is corrected naturally once you use mature compost as an amendment. Be careful to make an asparagus bed in as weed-free an environment as you can.
Herbicides Frequently Used
Glyphosate herbicide products are often recommended to control winter annual weeds and biennial weeds near asparagus plants. 1 study in the University of Caen, France established a relation between the inert ingredients in the most popular weed-killer and individual cell damage. Glyphosate weed killers are also recorded as the third-most commonly reported causes of pesticide-related illnesses among agricultural employees, as reported by the Organic Consumers Union. Safer methods of controlling weeds include a vigorous program of hand pulling, hoeing, light tilling, cover crops and mulching.
Read the Labels
Important safety information is located on all herbicide product labels. Determine how and when to employ, what protective clothing to wear and what emergency measures to take in the event of over-exposure. Labels also clarify the short- or long-term toxicity warnings and proper storage procedures. Signal words that indicate toxicity amount are Danger, Warning or Caution. Integrated Pest Management programs encourage pesticide users to not apply products prior to a rainfall or under windy conditions. Spot treatments are recommended as one method to minimize ecological harm to surrounding plants, wildlife and children. Weed control products applied to entire asparagus soil beds can run into local groundwater supplies.
Least Toxic Weed Control Approaches
Light hoeing in the asparagus bed is recommended, but never rototilling. Deep tilling implements hurt plant crowns, reduce yield and promote illness. Organic mulches such as grass clippings, straw, compost or wood chips implemented 4 to 6 inches thick suppress weed growth. Use weed-free sifted compost as a soil additive when summer harvest of the asparagus spears is whole. Large asparagus beds may be planted with a cover crop in between the rows. Buckwheat in summertime and rye or wheat in autumn and winter stop weed growth throughout the asparagus dormant season. Cover crops also enhance soil structure and nutrient content.