Growing organic asparagus with DCM

Planting organic asparagus

DCM VIVISOL®, a versatile soil improver, stimulates soil life and indirectly increases plant vitality. DCM VIVISOL® MINIGRAN® should be applied at the time of planting, preferably under the crown of the plants. Several official demos have shown that plants respond particularly well to DCM VIVISOL® MINIGRAN® applied at planting:

the asparagus plant forms significantly more roots (up to 64% more!), allowing it to absorb more nutrients from the soil. Given that the sugars for the following production years are stored in the roots, this improved root development at the start of the crop is very important.
the asparagus plant had accumulated more sugars (up to 36% more), which is a parameter for harvest potential in the coming years.

The benefits of DCM VIVISOL® MINIGRAN® at a glance:

More roots formed in the first year
Higher nutrient efficiency thanks to improved nutrient uptake
Vigorous asparagus plants
A healthy, active and diverse soil life

Basic fertilization

Fertilizing an asparagus plant is important to get a good crop that ensures the sugar build-up through photosynthesis for the next season.Het bemesten van een aspergeplant is belangrijk om een goed gewas te krijgen wat middels de fotosynthese zorgt voor de suikeropbouw van het volgende seizoen.
DCM is specialized in the production of organo(-mineral) fertilisers and soil improvers. DCM also produces 100% organic products, some of which are SKAL / FiBL (organic) certified. The combination in one single formula of a wide range of raw materials, each with a specific nutritional value and nutrient release pattern, enables us to produce easily spreadable pellets or micro-granules (MINIGRAN^®) whose nutrients are rapidly available to the plants, while being released gradually over a long period. In this way, asparagus claws benefit from a gradual but constant supply of nutrients for healthy, natural growth: the basis for organic cultivation.

Specifically for organic cultivation, our wide range of products includes various " ECOR-fertiliser", each with a different composition (NPK). Depending on the soil sample, you can choose a specific product from our extensive range. Plants benefit from a continuous release of nutrients for at least 3 months. Thanks to their organic origin, ECOR-fertiliser contain no ‘ballast salts’ and do not leach out, even in the event of heavy rainfall. In addition, the organic raw materials nourish the microbial life in het soil, which is important for healthy growth.

The MINIGRAN^® granules (very small granules with a homogenous composition) ensure perfect distribution with a large contact surface, guaranteeing optimum nutrient availability.

Ask for more information about the possibilities and compositions available, adapted to your plants and soil type.

Trace elements

Trace elements are the plant's vitamins: only small amounts of them are needed but they are essential for certain physiological processes. They often form part of the (co)enzymes in the plant or play a role in energy production and conversion. A plant that lacks trace elements will show deficiency symptoms. So however small the amount needed, trace elements are just as essential for a plant as nitrogen or potassium.

It is also important to pay sufficient attention to the pH of the soil. Some trace elements cannot be properly absorbed if the pH is too high or too low. In case of deficiencies, it is customary to apply a foliar fertiliser containing the specific trace element. However, this is often a curative treatment that offers only a temporary solution. DCM MICRO-MIX YELLOW, a spreadable trace element mix, is ideal to use when the analysis of your soil indicates that trace element levels are too low. It provides a basic supply of trace elements, which will be sufficient for the entire growing season.

DCM MICRO-MIX YELLOW

Spreadable organic trace element mix (0,25% boron + 0,25% copper + 1% iron + 0,5% manganese + 0,02% molybdenum + 0,4% zinc)
Enriched with organic matter: forms a temporary buffer for the nutrients
The trace elements are released gradually, according to the plant’s needs
Available in MINIGRAN^® TECHNOLOGY, an evenly spreadable mini-granule enabling a perfect distribution, even in a small doses. Each MINIGRAN^® granule contains the same proportion of trace elements!

Calcium fertilization or pH increase

Calcium plays a role in the quality and shelf life of your asparagus. At plant level, calcium ensures, among other things, strong cell walls and more vigorous plants of better quality, which benefits plant resilience. Calcium is absorbed by the plant as bivalent positively charged ion (Ca²⁺), and only by the young roots. Calcium uptake is a passive process; calcium enters the roots with the water flow and is transported upwards through the xylem vessels to parts of the plant that actively evaporate water. Once it has reached its destination in the plant, the calcium is stored in the vacuoles or in the cell wall space. The calcium is therefore also immobile in the plant! Young, fast-growing leaves in particular need a lot of calcium.

With DCM SEAWEEDLIME GRANULES (pelleted seaweed lime), a young, mild coccolith lime, plant-available calcium can be easily applied as nutrition. These easily spreadable granules contain 45% CaO of young origin, so the calcium can be quickly absorbed by the plant. DCM SEAWEEDLIME GRANULES is also SKAL / FiBL certified.

DCM SEAWEEDLIME GRANULES can be used as a calcium fertiliser and is also suitable to raise soil pH. This lime has a neutralizing value (NV) of 50, which allows to raise the pH more quickly. The advice we provide on this subject is always tailor-made and depends on the soil analysis.