[bobbeorn]

Hello,
        sorry if this is the wrong way to post. As I am thinking of starting an asparagus bed I was reading posts to do with same.
        My attention was caught by a post that discussed applying salt to the bed.
        I work for a district council an when on a trainng course for pesticide application one of the instructor's points for illustrating how, if used safely and as recommended, that chemical pesticides are no more dangerous to us(or plants) than unsafe applications of everyday, readily available household products. Salt, as he pointed out is a very effective total 'herbicide'. Every winter we (work), unfortunately, kill off some of the grass bordering the paths on O.A.P. complexes that we are required to keep clear of snow and ice- this happens when we spread the 'grit'/rocksalt to melt the ice. Look at sites where ice bins are located for examples of how run off from the 'grit' kills vegetation. A stretch of privet hedge was killed and did not recover on a park where 'grit' was stored for winter use on the paths. Sorry to be long winded and I'm not saying the information regarding applications of salt to asaparagus beds is incorrect, but, I do think people should be made aware of the potential effect of salt on plants. All hail Indian Summers- I'm banking on a long one to get lots done.

[Sparkyrog]

First Hello and welcome to the site ! You are quite right back in the mists of time William the conqueror used salt to make land impossible to grow crops on ! However I  have been told that asparagus likes a light dressing 

[JayG]

Wild asparagus is native to sea coasts in Europe and parts of Asia, so is more tolerant of salt than some other plants, but that's not the same thing at all as actually requiring it to grow.

Hopefully no-one these days tries to take advantage of that tolerance by using salt as a weedkiller on their asparagus beds  , and not only because the highly selected cultivated varieties grown these days will have mostly never even been to the seaside!   

[Sparkyrog]

Wild asparagus is native to sea coasts in Europe and parts of Asia, so is more tolerant of salt than some other plants, but that's not the same thing at all as actually requiring it to grow.

Hopefully no-one these days tries to take advantage of that tolerance by using salt as a weedkiller on their asparagus beds  , and not only because the highly selected cultivated varieties grown these days will have mostly never even been to the seaside!   

The advice from an OB was not in the form of a weedkiller 

[JayG]

The advice from an OB was not in the form of a weedkiller 

I'm sure it wasn't - it would be a good way of ruining the structure of the soil by killing everything in it (other than the asparagus!)

However, asparagus still doesn't need any more salt than any other plant to grow well. 

[Sparkyrog]

The advice from an OB was not in the form of a weedkiller 

I'm sure it wasn't - it would be a good way of ruining the structure of the soil by killing everything in it (other than the asparagus!)

However, asparagus still doesn't need any more salt than any other plant to grow well. 

Thanks Duly noted 

[devonbarmygardener]

Wild asparagus is native to sea coasts in Europe and parts of Asia, so is more tolerant of salt than some other plants, but that's not the same thing at all as actually requiring it to grow.

Hopefully no-one these days tries to take advantage of that tolerance by using salt as a weedkiller on their asparagus beds  , and not only because the highly selected cultivated varieties grown these days will have mostly never even been to the seaside!   

I'm trying Samphire next year which is like a seaside-grown wild asparagus like plant and the instructions with it mention adding salt to the water fro seedling stage onwards - 1 teaspoon salt to every pint.

I've never heard about salt for normal asparagus though

[Salmo]

Applying salt to asparagus beds was the standard way to control weeds. You cannot cultivate deeply and salt was the only way to control couch, bindweed etc. It also stopped such weeds as chickweed germinating.

This only changed with the advent of Roundup. I expect salt still works.

[Sparkyrog]

Applying salt to asparagus beds was the standard way to control weeds. You cannot cultivate deeply and salt was the only way to control couch, bindweed etc. It also stopped such weeds as chickweed germinating.

This only changed with the advent of Roundup. I expect salt still works.

Hmm A very interesting comment and one I research further ! Thanks Salmo 

[JayG]

I'm sure DDT still "works" too, but that doesn't make using it a great idea in the light of the serious environmental, human and animal health issues eventually discovered to be associated with its widespread and prolonged use.

I'm not suggesting that common salt is in the same league as DDT, and I hope you enjoy doing your further research Sparkyrog, but in the interests of this discussion going somewhere other than round in circles, don't forget to post any links you find to the benefits to either the asparagus, the soil, or the wider environment of applying salt in sufficient quantities to kill everything other than the asparagus.

[Sparkyrog]

I'm sure DDT still "works" too, but that doesn't make using it a great idea in the light of the serious environmental, human and animal health issues eventually discovered to be associated with its widespread and prolonged use.

I'm not suggesting that common salt is in the same league as DDT, and I hope you enjoy doing your further research Sparkyrog, but in the interests of this discussion going somewhere other than round in circles, don't forget to post any links you find to the benefits to either the asparagus, the soil, or the wider environment of applying salt in sufficient quantities to kill everything other than the asparagus.

No Disrespect  JayG but I had to look  http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg052127273719.html

[Sparkyrog]

My conclusion on that is not to use it !  But it may be preferable to Glyphosate  While I know organics are not sustainable I prefer to follow that route 

[Madame Cholet]

Ihave to confess to using salt on dandylions in the path about 20 years ago

[Salmo]

Asparagus was not the only crop to have salt applied. Beet, i.e. red beet, sugar beet etc are all derived fron a pland that grows commonly along our seashores and are salt tolerant..

It was, and maybe still is, common practice to apply rock salt to sugar beet seedbeds as fertiliser. Sodium can replace potassium in plant metabalism to a certain extent and rock salt is a lot cheaper than muriate of potash.

A saturated solution of salt was also used on the Fens as emergancy 'fire engine' weed control on sugar beet crops if the weather had not allowed the farmer to hoe the weeds. Often persecaria (willow weed) would grow so lush that it would smoother the beet. The farmer would choose a very hot day to spray the saturated salt. The weeds would all wilt within a few minutes and shrivel. The beet, being salt tolerant, would be unaffected.