A few random questions.

[Smiles Jr.]

When the growing season gives way to fall and winter I never know what to do with my asparagus bed. There are always a few tall stalks and some late summer weeds. Do you cut the "fern looking" stalks to the ground? Do you cover the bed with leaves or mulch?

My Brussels sprouts didn't do very well this summer but now that the temperatures are ranging between 50s and high 30s (F) and we have had lots of rain they are looking very healthy. Lots of tiny sprouts. The last time this happened I harvested sprouts all the way through December and into January. Do any of you do the same?

 

[Ridgerunner]

When the growing season gives way to fall and winter I never know what to do with my asparagus bed. There are always a few tall stalks and some late summer weeds. Do you cut the "fern looking" stalks to the ground?

Yes, when the stalks start dying or drying up I cut them. I try to strip the red berries and leave them there in the hopes that some of the seed will sprout, a few usually do. I try to pull weeds and grass out too but often fail to do this.

Do you cover the bed with leaves or mulch?

Yes. I'm not sure how critical this was in Arkansas but I think it is a good idea to protect some against a deep freeze. It should help keep weeds down in the spring. I also think it helps keep certain nutrients from leaching away over the winter, though if your ground freezes solid you may not get much leaching.

 

[Zeedman]

My Brussels sprouts didn't do very well this summer but now that the temperatures are ranging between 50s and high 30s (F) and we have had lots of rain they are looking very healthy. Lots of tiny sprouts. The last time this happened I harvested sprouts all the way through December and into January. Do any of you do the same?

I've only grown sprouts once, but found them to be bitter when harvested in warm weather. After frost, they sweetened & became pleasant. Not sure how cold it has to be to kill them, but they should still be good until then.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I was going to get the weeds out of mine and put some compost on top. I have read you keep the ferns until fall. I have not really cared about this new spot I picked for my asparagus, so many weeds and a bad place, but I did get more this year. I cut the ferns and took out big weeds and I was going to put some compost down and cover with a little straw, but this big snow came. I think I will do it anyway after it melts.

 

[dickiebird]

G/Rabbits
I cut my ferns and then cover my bed with rabbit droppings from a friends rabbits.
This seems to make for a great crop of asp. every spring.

THANX RICH

 

[flowerbug]

When the growing season gives way to fall and winter I never know what to do with my asparagus bed. There are always a few tall stalks and some late summer weeds. Do you cut the "fern looking" stalks to the ground? Do you cover the bed with leaves or mulch?
...

you want as much energy from the stalks as you can get, so wait for them to die back as much as you can tolerate before cutting them down. if you have a lot of mulch you can pile that on in the fall and remove it in the spring when the sun starts to get warmer. if there are any weeds that have survived that you can remove them in the spring when you remove the mulch.

 

[Carol Dee]

We are lazy gardeners! We never do anything to them. We leave the ferns until we are doing spring cleaning. Our beds are getting bigger all the time. The seeds have blown into other parts of the garden as well. We have plenty of asparagus! SO, if you do not get it cleaned up before snow flies, I'd say no worries.

 

[ducks4you]

I have not wanted to try asparagus again, bc it always seems to have to compete with weeds every year. I think I would recommend getting the hose to soak the area next warm day that you are home, and pull every bit of grass and weeds that you can, then work in Preen to help keep them weeds from sprouting.
EVERY WINTER, I see weeds that survive sub freezing temperatures, like chick weed, and those are the ones that always seem to scatter loads of seeds every Spring.
Just a thought.