asparagus question

[Ignatius]

Last year, I planted several mounds of asparagus.  I got long, tall stalks, with fern like leaves at the end.  This year, I got the same thing, but some are green and some are purple.  What am I doing wrong?  Should the stalks have been cut when they first came out of the ground (at about 5" or 6") and eaten?  

[flowerchild]

Yep.  It's too late now, but you'll know for next year.  5 or 6 inches out of the ground, cut em off and enjoy.

[Ignatius]

Yep.  It's too late now, but you'll know for next year.  5 or 6 inches out of the ground, cut em off and enjoy.

Thanks, and I guess I better plant more mounds cause the four I did last year wouldn't give enough for one person!

[Petee]

It's good to let them grow for a couple of years to build up the root system anyway so it will only do them good to let them grow a few years before harvesting.  Never cut them all but as they get older and more stems appear from the same root then you can cut a few more from each root.

[lavender]

I've had an asparagus patch for 20 years now and it is very prolific. Here is what grandpa told me when he helped me put it in. You don't cut for a couple of years. Keep it weeded, mulched and give it high nitrogen fertilizer. When you start cutting you cut the all of the stalks and you cut just below the ground. You can cut until the last week of May. At the patch gets older you can cut into early June. The stalks will get thicker as the plants get older. The idea is to keep the stalks all cut down so that the plant will keep putting up more. Once they get tall and feathery the plant will stop putting up new stalks.

 

The 5-6 inch length is just about right. If the weather is wet and warm almost all of the stalk will be edible. If the stalk is growing slowly the bottom half will be tough.

 

After June first let the stalks grow up. Fertilize at least twice a season, early in the spring and midsummer.  When the stalks get dry cut them back and you will be ready for the next crop in the spring.

 

I think that you will find that 4 mounds will feed you in a few years. They spread out and get bigger as time goes on. I've got  it coming up in the grass.

[Petee]

Sorry, I should have looked up more recent information than I had.  Yes, with Flea Beetles a problem then you need to cut all stalks after the first year.  But leave them grow into ferns later in the year and winter over.  Clean up the old ferns first thing in the spring.

 

Here's a good link: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1603.html

[Ignatius]

Thanks one and all!  My stalks are now about 3' high and I was nearly ready to prune them back a bit yesterday to see if it would force more lower growth.

[lavender]

In 20 years I've never had flea beetle on the asparagus and they just love my eggplant. After about 10 years we did start getting asparagus beetle. We treat these with Seven while the stalks are in the edible stage and also remove any thin stalks that are coated with the black eggs. I'll handpick into soapy water, as well.  We just ignore them as the stalks  reach the ferny stage. I'm not sure how you would treat the jungle we get then. One reason for  cutting the ferny stalks to the ground after they freeze is to control the asparagus beetle which overwinters in the debris. The second reason is if you don't cut the dead stalks down in the fall you have a real mess in the spring if you don't get out of there fast enough  before the asparagus starts to emerge from the ground. You are going to have to wade through those stalks to find the new shoots to cut and feet and barely emerged asparagus do not go well together.  Asparagus is very early and often comes up in wet weather. Believe me you want a clean patch for them to emerge into. They should be planted about a foot deep and the roots don't need protection here from the cold. They are very hardy.

 

To summarize:

1. Don't cut anything for 2-3 years except to cut the dead stalks back in the fall for garden hygiene although that is probably not necessary at this stage.

2.After that, as flowerchild suggests, you start cutting 5-6 inch stalks for eating. Cut all of the thinner stalks and discard them. This will keep new stalks coming. If the stalks are allowed to grow the patch will stop producing quicker.

3. Stop cutting the last week of May and let the stalks grow to full height.

4. After the first hard freeze cut the dead stalks back and discard them.

5. Fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizers at least twice per year.  

 

I don't know how they grow them elsewhere but this has worked well for me and we have more asparagus than we know what to do with. We actually groan when it turns up on a plate in a restaurant.