Harvesting asparagus

[nachoqtpie]

So, last year we put in some asparagus crowns. It said that this year we could harvest sparingly.

How do you know what "sparingly" is? If you don't harvest it, it goes to seed, so what are you supposed to do with it??

 

[Carol Dee]

Let it grow. The ferns will seed. You may get more from self seeding later. But leaving them go is like leaving the tulip and other bulbs leaves so they can store nutrients.

 

[Smart Red]

My "rule of thumb" is to harvest any spear that is thicker than a pencil. This year "harvest sparingly" means one spear only if it is thick and only one or two spears per plant. Otherwise, (what @Carol Dee said) the asparagus ferns need to make food for future harvests, so they must be left to grow and die back naturally. Don't forget to feed the asparagus. They are heavy feeders

 

[the1honeycomb]

feed the asparagus what?? I am afraid that my asparagus is so slow because I didn't feed it well over the winter so lets have some suggestions1!! I do have chicken manure, and can get some 10-10-10- If that is what I need.

 

[nachoqtpie]

Oiy... so I guess we have already over harvested! I will tell hubby to stop cutting them! LOL

Yes.. what DO you feed them, with? They're in the bed with the strawberries and rhubarb!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I went to look it up to see what I'm doing wrong. As usual, plenty. I had been just adding compost after the harvest. It gets worked in when I pull weeds. I guess I'll start adding some 10-10-10 too though I don't think I'll go as heavy as they say.

This is one of the better write-ups I saw and seems to agree with most. Be careful about letting the fertilizer coming into direct contact with the asparagus plants. It can burn them. Put it away from them and water it in.

Fertilizing Asparagus works hard and needs to be fed twice a year. In the early spring, while the crowns are still dormant, or the budding shoots are still a good two inches (5 cm) under the soil, sprinkle a good balanced fertilizer like a 5-5-5 or a 10-10-10 around the crowns. Use 1 quart (1 l) for every five feet (1.5 m), and sprinkle the fertilizer about 6 inches (15 cm) from the crowns and in all directions. As soon as harvesting of the spears is done, weed the patch carefully, and side-dress with a 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 quart (1 l) for every 5 feet (1.5 m). Asparagus plants need to start storing energy back into their crowns and roots after harvest, so allow the spears to grow up and turn into leafy ferns, because that is where the food for the plant is manufactured.

 

[Carol Dee]

Oops, we have never feed ours! And it grows like wild in the fence rows. The oldest patch behind the garage is slowing down a little, so I will show this to DH and ask him to add some fertilizer. Thanks.

 

[Smart Red]

I usually add well rotted horse or cow manure to the asparagus bed every fall. Rhubarb will enjoy the same treatment at the same time. Not sure about the strawberries there.

 

[bills]

Chicken manure is fantastic. I add it green to the top of the bed in the fall, and it rots down enough by the spring, that it won't burn the plants. Good production of nice fat spears, has been fantastic for years just using this method..

 

[nachoqtpie]

Oh golly! LOL We just added mulch to that bed as well. I guess we will have to pick up a small thing of 10-10-10!