Asparagus weeds

[v w]

I started this patch in 1999 and weeds have always been a problem during the harvest season. I had always sprayed with roundup after the grass started and then sprayed again with 24D after harvest. Lambsquarter however was always a big problem. Last year I watched a field which had been sprayed with Durion and it remained quite weed free so I decided to try it this year. I'm a convert. Durion can be used before emeregence and/or post harvest. I sprayed it before emergence but Durion does not kill grassy weeds very well so I sprayed it after harvest with roundup and Durion. This is a month later and weed control is quite good. Next year I will spray with both roundup and durion before harvest and go from there.

Vern

[Jack]

looks good, let us know how it does

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I used to work in an appliance store where we also sold water softeners. Evey year one of the local farmers would come in and buy several bags of the coarse solar salt crystals. He raised asparagus, and said it was a salt water plant by nature and the salt in addition to helping the asparagus also helped keep the weeds down. I never saw his fields, so I don't know about the results, but he came back every year, so I guess it must have done some good.

[Jack]

I might have to give that a try in my bed, I have mine in a raised bed and I know Asparagus don't like weeds, has anyone else ever tried the salts

[Buzzard Wing]

My small bed is about 25 years old and doing well. After I have finished cutting (about now) I have just thrown compost on it, thick enough to cover the weeds and that works well (on a small scale).

Being just up the hill from the beach I have been planning on getting a load of seaweed from the big city's official seaweed harvester (huge machine that may still be broken??) I suppose that would work anytime the bed has gone to growing tall and doesn't interfere with the strays that will continue to pop up. But most people don't have the easy access to seaweed that I do.

The ones I missed harvesting a month ago are way over my head now.

It really is the perfect crop!

[midmo]

I would have thought roundup would kill the asparagus. I had a lot of new asparagus come up this spring making my patch bigger and have put salt down trying to control the grasses and weeds. It has work some but not 100%.

[Bill Hudson]

VW,

Check this out for labeled herbicides for asparagus production in Michigan: http://veginfo.msu.edu/veginfo2010/bulletins/E433/index.cfm?crop=101

Bill

[v w]

Salt will work and was used some before herbicides. To the best of my knowledge it was never done other than by home gardeners. The cost is higher than herbicides. There are pluses and minuses for both depending mostly on your feeling toward herbicides.

Bill. Oops. Misspelled the herbicide D-I-R-U-O-N. To the blackboard 500 times!! Yes there are several herbicides approved for use. 24D is even approved during the harvest and I have done so. I will do it after a frost since even a light one will kill the tender spears. Two pickings are lost. At other times the application will lose two pickings or at least by me. Most spears will twist if hit with 24D and are unsaleable anyway (I won't eat them) I destroy all visible spears for three days. I will stick with diruon at least for now.

Midmo. Roundup will kill asparagus. These are old roots and hard to kill. I would not treat a new patch this way. The spraying is done immediately, generally within the hour, of the final picking. I do a knock down using the lawn mower with the deck all the way down but not running. The spears will snap off while the weeds go under and are sprayed right behind the mower. Any spray touching the spears just breaking ground won't do more than make the spear grow funny.

This spear was probably hit. `

Buzzard Wing. Mulch is the nice way to go. As you state it needs adding to often. The decay adds plant food too. I have 1700 plants and no easy way to get enough mulch or I would use it. I use it on my garden. We grow and sell a small amount of asparagus. Next year is the last year I am going to do this. Getting too old to reach the ground. Or maybe too old to get back up.
Vern

[v w]

looks good, let us know how it does

It worked good as far as I am concerned. Disease hit hard this year so we'll see what spring brings. I am thinking of killing every other row so I can get between the rows and spray. Vern