General Outdoor Discussion
Asparagus
My bed is roughly 15' x 15' and is 20 years old. I always add seeds back to it every year and a few years ago I bought some crowns from a nursery and filled in areas that were not producing much. Biggest issue with asparagus in my opinion is keeping out the weeds. You just need to get in there and pull them out, and add a good mulch every year.
in my experience, you can pick a few spears started from seeds in year three. one of my patches, in its fifth year i think, i am getting a lot of spears as big around as my little finger. the other patch is in its seventh or eighth season and many spears as big around as my thumb.
i have added more seed plantings to the second patch, which is expanding nicely, but the patch also spreads when it goes to seed.
lots of info out there on utube and home extensions sites
i still have a couple good wild asparagus spots but they arent producing yet while it started sooner than usual in the garden this year.
I have not cut until spring and have had good success, just a mess in the yard come fall when they all fall over. Had a good harvest from the garden this year and thinking of trying to make a batch of pickled asparagus. Ill try an online recipe, but they are all over the place. If I am going through the effort was wondering if anyone has a good one they would be willing to share. Thanks
Leave them until spring if you want to keep them for the wildlife. Otherwise cut them in the fall. Also I've read that if you have the asparagus beetle (I do) cut the stalks in the fall and it will reduce the amount of beetles you'll have the next year. I've done this the last two years and it seems to be helping. I had a few beetles early this year but I smooshed every one of them I found. Haven't seen anymore in a couple of weeks now.
i was told by a old asparagus grower to cut the stalks after they are dead in fall so winter winds dont whip the plants around and potentially harm the root system
been doing it that way for 6-7 years with no ill effects, but i aint no master gardener lol.
i'd google but i'm going fishing
never heard of pulling female plants, i just let em all go until cutting the stalks close to the ground in late fall.
this was the fourth year for a 6x6 ft patch i started from seeds and i picked a lot of good sized spears. let a bunch of pencil sized and smaller go to seed. the patch is filling in more each year
