| does salt help to keep the weeds down if applied before asparagus comes up |
| Although in the past salt was used to manage weeds, this method is no longer recommended. Asparagus is more salt-tolerant than most weeds, so adding salt to beds would kill weeds without killing the asparagus. However, it is now known that added salt tends to seal the soil surface, inhibiting water penetration, and may also damage soil structure (the way soil particles are clumped into aggregates). Salt can also leach laterally through the soil, possibly damaging nearby plants. Keep your bed weeded the old fashioned way, by pulling as needed and then keeping the bed well mulched. An organic mulch applied annually will also feed the soil. |
