Picture Of The Week (POW) Information & Submissions

Phaedra

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My asparagus is coming back for the second year. They seem a little thin, though. Is there a way to increase their yield? Should I buy some crowns to expand them? There's only like 20 right now.
Hi Jane23, it's normal that they are thin for their second year. Mine are for their 4th year. I didn't harvest anything in the first two years and just let them grow up and become stronger. Asparagus will take 3-5 years for a decent harvest. If you grow from crowns, moderate harvesting from the 3rd year is reasonable; if from seeds, another 1-2 years will be needed.

It seems they don't like competitions. Some of my crowns are growing in the raised beds, where I still have other crops. Some are growing on the ground, where they are just part of the lawn. Both are doing fine, but this year, their 4th year, those growing in one specific raised bed without other crops are much fatter.

If you like asparagus and have sufficient space, yes, expanding the planting area is a great idea as they take longer to reach a developed status.
 

Missa@4949

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Jane23

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Hi Jane23, it's normal that they are thin for their second year. Mine are for their 4th year. I didn't harvest anything in the first two years and just let them grow up and become stronger. Asparagus will take 3-5 years for a decent harvest. If you grow from crowns, moderate harvesting from the 3rd year is reasonable; if from seeds, another 1-2 years will be needed.

It seems they don't like competitions. Some of my crowns are growing in the raised beds, where I still have other crops. Some are growing on the ground, where they are just part of the lawn. Both are doing fine, but this year, their 4th year, those growing in one specific raised bed without other crops are much fatter.

If you like asparagus and have sufficient space, yes, expanding the planting area is a great idea as they take longer to reach a developed status.
I'm considering throwing some more seeds down, which would mean a 6-year time span, but if they are leggy for the second year, it's hard to know if they will come back next year with more. We have had about four days of rain, so they are doing really well, but I would still like to see more growth.

Does it vary from year to year how many try to come back, or if new plants grow? I know they end up giant balls of roots with everything tangled together, so this is all new to me. Life is a great experiment. It is one thing to read about it, it's another to do/see what is going on. Plus, not all areas are alike, so variations are possible.
 

Zeedman

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Congrats @Zeedman - your beautiful pic is this week's POW winner and is featured on our homepage! :woot
Thank you! :) It was great to be able to witness that, on my DW's birthday... it felt like a hug from above. :hugs

Maybe this is what Angels look like.
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