Growing asparagus in a greenhouse is the perfect way to extend your growing season and have fresh asparagus available any time you want it. You don’t need an especially large greenhouse to grow asparagus, but it must be well-lit with plenty of sunny windows. The size of your greenhouse doesn’t matter so much as how well it is set up for growing asparagus. If you are planning on raising your food, whether, for personal consumption or sale, a greenhouse will greatly increase the production of any vegetable you choose to grow there. A greenhouse makes it possible to begin seedlings at almost any time of the year, even if outdoor conditions are not ideal. Moreover, a small greenhouse takes up very little space and requires only minimal maintenance once it’s been established. Let’s take a look at how you can get started planting your asparagus in a greenhouse today.
How to Plant Asparagus in a Greenhouse
First, let’s talk about how to plant asparagus in a greenhouse! Asparagus needs soil that is light and sandy, with a pH of 7.0 or less. The roots are easily damaged when the soil is too heavy, and if the soil has a pH above 7.0, the asparagus will be very slow to grow. There should not be much difference in the temperature between the greenhouse soil and the air temperature. To plant asparagus in a greenhouse, you can either plant the crowns as you would outdoors, or you can start them in pots. Growing asparagus from seed is possible but usually takes two years to produce edible plants. The easiest way to produce asparagus is by starting it from crowns and then transplanting it later to the ground.
What You’ll Need
If you want to grow asparagus in a greenhouse, you will need a greenhouse capable of housing the crop. You’ll also need to prepare the soil, set up irrigation and drainage systems, and find a proper location for the greenhouse. As for the greenhouse itself, you will want to ensure that it is well-ventilated. A greenhouse that’s too hot and humid won’t foster healthy plant growth. You will also need to decide where you’d like to locate the greenhouse. If you have plenty of open space, you can build your greenhouse on the ground. If you don’t have space, you can build your greenhouse on a balcony or in a basement.
Step 1: Build a Good Soil Base
The first thing to do when planting asparagus in a greenhouse is to create a good soil base. You can do this by mixing compost and sand, two parts of each by volume. After that, you want to add enough soil to bring the volume to about 10 cubic feet. If you want to maximize your growing space in the greenhouse, you can consider building two tiers. This will not only allow you to grow more plants, but you can also grow different types of plants on each tier. For example, you can grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and other veggies on the upper tier, while growing asparagus on the lower tier.
Step 2: Install the Window Frames and Doors
Another important step in growing asparagus in a greenhouse is to install window frames and doors. You will want to set up your greenhouse so that the sun can hit all parts of it during the day, although you should avoid direct sunlight hitting your plants during the hottest part of the day (between 10 AM and 2 PM). During the winter, your greenhouse may not receive enough light, so you should consider installing artificial lighting in the winter. By installing full-length window frames, you can maximize the amount of sunlight that enters your greenhouse. You will want to install the wooden frames so that they are a few inches away from the greenhouse walls. This will allow the walls to retain some heat in the winter.
Step 3: Add Darkening Materials or Black-out Curtains
Another important step when planting asparagus in a greenhouse is to add darkening materials. For greenhouse growers, asparagus is usually one of the last crops to be planted. This will mean that the greenhouse will receive a lot of light from the sun. Since asparagus thrives in relatively cool temperatures, you will want to block out this light to keep the greenhouse temperature from getting too warm. To do this, simply use black-out curtains or a thick layer of cardboard. You can also add darkening materials to the greenhouse windows to help keep light out.
Step 4: Install an Organic Humming Biofilter
Last but not least, you will want to install an organic humming biofilter in your greenhouse. These biofilters are easy to build and use bacteria to break down organic waste like leaves, plant debris, and even fish waste. This material is converted into a rich soil-like substance that you can use to enrich your soil. An organic humming biofilter will also help to reduce any odours that may arise from the asparagus plants. Moreover, the rich soil produced by the biofilter can be used to grow other plants in your greenhouse. In short, a humming biofilter can be a very useful addition to any greenhouse that grows asparagus.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several steps involved in growing asparagus in a greenhouse. The good news is that once you have your greenhouse set up and ready to go, it’s pretty much hands-off. Asparagus is a perennial crop that can be grown in a greenhouse year after year. If you’re a fan of asparagus, you may want to consider growing it in a greenhouse. It’s an easy way to extend your growing season and have fresh asparagus available any time you want it.