Some people would say this is a good problem to have, Beth! (Have you been giving it away? selling it??) The spears should grow into ferns. If you’re cutting the spears, they are not reaching that stage. Let it alone until fall and then cut it down and side dress (see above). It is really, really hard to kill or otherwise lose asparagus. The ferns help the plant to make food for itself, allowing it to overwinter and produce healthy new spears the following year. Next year when it comes up, harvest the spears when they are about 6 inches tall and then let the remaining asparagus grow to the fern stage. 

Lucky you—in so many ways. The general rule of thumb is to cut dwn the ferns in the fall. The question is (not do you feel lucky; well, not really): what is more important to you: the asparagus or the peppers and lettuce. Understandably, the question puts you betw a rock and a hard place. You want the asparagus; you want the lettuce and peppers. We would advise in this case that you leave the ‘grass alone and take of the lettuce and peppers what you can. The asparagus should be planted in a bed by itself for exactly this reason. The other vegetables, the annuals, rotate out and get picked out. But the asparagus is a perennial heavy feeder. It needs all the nutrients it can get; no competition. Next year, plant the annuals elsewhere. That’s what we would do…

Hi Tom,

First year plants will die back late in the season, though not usually this early, but it depends on where you live. It could be over-watering, or excessive sun. At this point, don’t water them any more. You’ll have to wait and see if they come back next year!

Once all of the ferns have died down on their own (usually at first frost, but even without frost in areas that do not get frost), cut the ferns down to about 2 inches above the ground. Add several inches of mulch to the bed; compost or rotted manure is ideal. There is no “transplanting them elsewhere.” The ferns grown from crowns that are not usually divided and have, by now (in your case, after three years) very long roots. You’re growing asparagus! Enjoy it!

We have heard of using salt after the season is over to keep down weeds, but not to improve the health of the asparagus.

Hi, Janet. Yes, it sounds as though you planted your asparagus too late. It should go in the ground in early spring. We suggest you start fresh next year. 

Hi Pam,

That’s certainly an old patch of asparagus, how do the plants look? Healthy? It’s not recommended to transplant old crowns, especially as old as 20 years. They have extremely developed root systems, and the plants would most likely be shocked by the transplant and die. However, gardening is an experiment and who knows for sure what may happen! Try transplanting the smaller crowns into a well-draining, sandy soil. Usually the crowns should be planted at a depth of 6 to 8 inches, but these may like to be deeper. Try planting a few depths between 8 to 12 inches. Water them well and see what happens. Good luck!

Your ferns will be OK even if they are laying on the ground. We have heard that some people prefer to steady them with a stake, but it isn’t necessary. 

 The fern stage is when the plant gathers energy for the next year. Once it dies in the fall, cut back the growth.

Hi Matt,

You can transplant the sprouting asparagus into the bed if you want to save them. Try laying tarps out around the raised beds late in the season. Pick up the tarps after the seeds have dropped and either save them or dispose of them.

After the ferns turn yellow, cut them back to 2 inches above the soil line. As to the cover–asparagus does not like to be soggy, so protection from consistently heavy rains might be good. Raised beds help with drainage, but make sure yours is draining properly. Adding compost is one way to help to improve drainage if needed. A removable hoop house cover, or similar, can be handy during especially heavy rains (at least in earlier stages of spear/fern growth–the ferns can get several feet tall). Remove the cover on sunny or especially hot days (if covered in clear plastic not row cover), or during light showers. For other ideas, you might contact your county’s Cooperative Extension. Contact information can be found here:
http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services

Are your crowns relatively young? They will take 2 to 3 years to become established, and will not be as productive those first few years. Avoid harvesting during that time. When they become established, harvest some spears thicker than a pencil and about 6 inches high, for 2 to 3 weeks in spring. Then after that, allow all spears to grow into the ferns over the summer. Cut those down when they have died back in fall. The ferns help the plant to make food for itself, allowing it to overwinter and produce healthy new spears the following year. If your asparagus is several years old, and you are getting a spindly harvest, that can be due to several factors, such as over-harvesting (which weakens the plant), cutting down the ferns before fall, allowing weeds to take over the bed, or lack of fertilizer. Another factor is age; asparagus over 15 years old tends to become less productive; if that is the case, you might consider planting new crowns. Hope this helps!

You should choose a hardy variety of asparagus. Two hardy varieties we would recommend are ‘Jersey Giant’ or ‘Mary Washington.’ Good luck!

Normally no. Usually one lets the spears grow in spring, harvesting some of them, then letting the rest grow into ferns to make food for the plant during the season so they can survive over winter and grow again next spring. However, there is a method mentioned by the Arizona Cooperative Extension where, if you have a lot of space, for a spring/fall harvest you can grow half of your bed the above way, and half the following way: when the spears appear in spring, do not harvest them–let them grow into ferns. Then in late July, cut the ferns down. This prompts the plant to grow new spears, which you can harvest a certain percentage (just like the spring-harvested method) for a few weeks before the end of the growing season. These fall-harvested crops will always need to be only harvested in fall – you can’t also harvest from them in spring, or you will severely weaken the plants. Hope this helps!

Asparagus growing in containers will not yield as much, and will not live nearly as long as those grown in the ground, but the method does offer access to these wonderful plants to those who do not have the yard space. These plants do need lots of space, however, and will quickly outgrow a 4-gallon pot – ideally something like 15 gallons or more is preferable - about 18 to 20 inches deep and about the same as wide. They do not like transplanting, though, so if you decide to transfer them to a larger pot, wait until they are dormant in fall or winter.

For general care, wait for the ferns to die back in the fall, then cut them down to about 3 inches. Provide mulch over the crowns (some use the cut down ferns) and protect them appropriately from winter’s cold, depending on your climate (they do require some period of cold temperatures). In spring, side-dress with organic fertilizer, scratching it into the surface, and then add some compost. Be sure your pot has good drainage, and that it is set in an area where the plant can get about 6 to 8 hours full sun. Water consistently (when dry about 2 inches into soil – do not overwater).

Do not harvest from the plants until the second year after they were planted in the container (so yours would then be 4 years old if you planted 2-yr crowns in spring 2016–if you transplant them again into another pot, you ideally should wait another year again – you can play it by ear, and monitor the vigor of the plants as they come up that second year).

For more advice for growing asparagus in your area, you might try contacting your county’s Cooperative Extension. For contact information, see:

http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services

Hi Mike, asparagus does need full sun! We have updated our page to reflect that. Thank you!

After you harvest the asparagus, you should keep watering the plants for good fern growth until they die down.  Once they die in the fall, then you mow and mulch them on the beds.

Male flowers have 6 stamens with orange anthers and white non-protruding filaments, that tend to be more bell shaped. The female’s ovary is green and in three sections, and its flowers have pistils with a 3-stigma style–they are more tubular. It is best to leave the fern-like growth intact until it turns brown in the fall, as the foliage is photosynthesizing and helps generate energy for the following year.

The asparagus fronds provide and store energy for the roots that provide the spears in the next season. The effect of this early shearing is likely to be a poor spear harvest next year. With such well-established plants, we think—we hope—that you might only have to sacrifice one year.

For now, leave the plants alone. Do nothing. In autumn, weed the bed then lay on a few inches of organic matter (composted manure, leaf mold, the like) and work it into the soil. Check the pH and amend if necessary. Asparagus are pretty hardy once established and four years is a pretty well-established bed.

Next year, leave the fronds in place, letting them turn brown in the autumn. Then, tell your husband he can cut them down.

All the best!

By “now” you mean in June, right? Sure. Better to get them started. Keep them watered—but not wet (sopping) and allow them to dry between watering.

Both plants like about the same soil pH, and fertile soil with good drainage in a sunny spot. A concern, however is the height of the asparagus ferns, which can grow between 3 and 8 feet tall, depending on the age of the plant and the variety. It is possible that, depending on where they are placed by the roses relative to the Sun’s path, they might shade them out, as well as block air circulation (little or no air circulation increases the likelihood of disease for roses). It is important, though, to keep the asparagus ferns intact (and not prune them), as they provide the food that the plant needs to survive the winter and maintain health. You’ll want access to the asparagus to harvest the spears early on, and allow them light. Having the two together might be OK, if the two plant groups are positioned so that both get enough light (and air circulation) at all times, in all stages of growth.

You might want to fill in on a case-by-case basis. If some crowns have growth 5 inches or more, add about 2 or so inches more soil over the base. For those that are under that amount, you might wait until the spears appear and reach a larger size – also, you don’t want to cover any foliage that develops. Once growth reaches the minimum size, you can start filling in about 2 inches every two weeks until trench is filled. To keep soil outside the trenches from washing away, you might try placing a tarp over it and around the edges. Hope this helps!

It’s best not to till an asparagus bed, as you might damage the crowns. Early in the season, before growth emerges, it is possible to use a hoe to remove weeds shallowly, but at the current stage, where you have young and ready-to-harvest spears, hand pulling is best to avoid damage. After you remove the weeds, a 3- or 4-inch layer of organic mulch, such as straw (not hay, which may have seedheads), can help prevent further weed emergence.

Because the bed is likely older than 2 years, it would probably be OK to harvest the spears this year, providing the plants look healthy. Only harvest spears that are thicker than a pencil and ideally are between 6 and 8 inches tall, with buds that have not opened yet. Harvest only for 2 to 3 weeks, ideally, although for established beds more than 5 years of age, some gardeners harvest up to 8 weeks, before summer. After that, let all spears grow into ferns, so that the plant can make food for itself for over winter. Note: If you find that the spears coming up are predominantly thinner than a pencil, then stop the harvest, even if it is sooner than the normal amount of weeks for harvest, or else the plants will weaken and your harvest next year will suffer. Hope this helps!

Volunteer asparagus should be pulled out of the beds because they will become crowded and production will suffer.

Depending on your climate and local weather, it may still be OK not to see the little spears poking up just yet. Give it a few more weeks; warm soil will wake them. Cool, wet weather can slow things down. Otherwise, it may possibly be that the crowns have rotted over winter, or succumbed to disease. Make sure your site has good drainage, sun, and air circulation.

Apologies, Chad. By now the snow must have come and gone, and we’ve been busy here. We expect your asparagus came out of it fine. We would have suggested a light layer of mulch, if snow and extended cold was imminent. But asparagus is tough. It’s probably fine and you can look forward to decades of harvests.

Tareq, I am not sure of your location, but we provide planting dates for the U.S. and Canada as we are a North American publication. You can find planting dates here:

http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates

You can overwinter your asparagus indoors; put them in a garage or cooler (but not freezing) section of the home, as the crowns need to go dormant. Once the ferns die, you can cut them off and place mulch over the soil surface to protect them from cooler temperatures. In early spring, consider planting them in their permanent home outdoors, before growth starts. Do not harvest in the coming year–allow at least one more year for the plant to establish.

If you planted your asparagus from seed, we recommend that you start harvesting after this third year. It’s good to let the spears grow into ferns for good production next year. Optionally: lightly fertilize for good top growth. Keep moist. Then, after frost, cut the spears down to 2-inch stubs to force dormancy. In the fall, add 4 to 6 inches of mulch and some organic matter and nutrients. In warm areas, withhold water in October and November to make ferns go dormant (turn yellow). Remove dried tops in early winter before new sprouts appear.

It might be best to wait until spring, and plant them then while they are still dormant. Protect them over winter, as you have suggested, with a thick layer of mulch.

You might try overwintering indoors, but put them in a garage or cooler (but not freezing) section of the home, as the crowns need to go dormant. Once the ferns die, you can cut them off and place mulch over the soil surface to protect them from cooler temperatures. In early spring, consider planting them in their permanent home outdoors, before growth starts. Do not harvest in the coming year–allow at least one more year for the plant to establish.

Once the tops have died back, spread a layer of compost over the roots and add a layer of straw, up to 6 inches, to keep them cosy for the winter.

It might depend on the setup. It would be best to keep them away from each other. The asparagus ferns need light, and the vines, depending on the trellising etc., may create too much shade. Depending on how much you train the vines, too, they might inhibit the asparagus. Asparagus ferns can grow 6 feet tall--which might also block the light from the grapes. You could set aside a block of area for the asparagus bed, though, at one end of your plot.

Hi, Karen. Check out the Harvest/Storage section above.

Yes. You dig up the underground shoots, rhizome and roots in the autumn and air dry them.

Were the 7 a different variety of asparagus from the other 9? If so, it could be a factor (such as coping with unusual weather differently, etc). Or, are they in more heat/shade/dampness? Check to make sure that they did not get too dry, which can significantly affect growth. Also, check for diseases or pests. If you think that the crowns are a lost cause, then we'd recommend waiting until next spring to plant again. For best results, you want the plants to have plenty of time to grow ferns over the summer, so that they can produce food for themselves to survive over winter. In the meantime, it might possibly be that those 7 might just perk up in a few weeks.

Hi Sara, That's correct. Asparagus is usually harvested by mid-April when the stalks are tender (about 6 to 10 inches long) and the tips are still tight. Any larger and we would discard them. Once it develops foliage, it's too tough to eat.
Do not cut them back while green! This is how they store energy for a good crop next year. Wait until the frosts turn the ferns brown; then you can cut them back.

Good find! Asparagus, once established, can produce 15 to 30 years! Aspargus loves lots of organic matter and compost mixed in. It's also important to keep out weeds so you can mulch the bed in late winter so the weeds don't grow in the spring.
You should divide your asparagus crowns--and do this every few years. To divide, first discard any woody parts. Then you gently handle the crown--and pull apart each section that has a strong growing point. Immediately replant with the budsvisible at the soil surface.
Fertilize every spring. We like fish, blood and bone fertilizer. Let the foliage yellow and die back; do not cut it. When you mulch for winter, then cut the plants down to the soil level.

Hi, Heather, The fact that you did not cut the fronds should not cause the crop to diminish (althought that should be done after the fronds die back naturally). A couple of things come ti mind:
• did you water sufficiently last year?
• has the plot been weeded?
and perhaps most importantly,
• is the soil a heavily composted bed and is your pH at propoer range (6.0 to 8.0)?
Check these things and "fix," if possible. For local details, you might contact your state cooperative extension (get info via a Web search).
We hope this helps.

Hi, Gloria, So we're on the same page: the "roots" are actually crowns. It's hard to figure the number of spears per crown; we've seen/heard it stated as 1/2 pound per crown and as a measure of mouths your feeding: for example, plant 5 crowns per eater to eat fresh harvested. If you plan to freeze the crop, plant 10 crowns per eater.
Overall harvest volume depends more on the health of the plant's fern growth and your not overharvesting. Overharvesting reduces fern growth and so harvest the next year.
The harvest season in years is typically as follows:
• in 2nd year, harvest for 2 weeks
• in 3rd year, harvest for 4 weeks
• in 4th year, harvest for 6 weeks
• in the 5th year and beyond, harvest for 8 weeks.
More during warm spells, when spears are 5 to 7 inches in length. And all of these presumes that soil and water conditions are optimal.
Stop harvesting when spears are pencil thin, no matter what the week.
So it may be better to say that the older the crop, the more you get.
We hope this helps.

Asparagus is sometimes grown in a container, but it is difficult. One plant needs a deep and wide planter, at least 20 inches by 20 inches (some sources recommend even larger). The container should be placed on wheels for easy transport, and the pot should have drainage holes. Keep in mind that the fronds will grow quite tall (several feet). Also, the first 2 or 3 years, you'll need to avoid harvesting--so it would be just an ornamental early on. But if you are up to a challenge, it certainly is worth a try!

It is possible that the plants are recovering from losing their food-producing ferns from last year. Asparagus will sometimes will grow weak, spindly spears in this case (or if they were harvested too much). Or, it might instead be that the weather in your area is delaying the spears from emerging for a bit and that they will be fine in a few weeks. You might also check for disease, such as crown rot, which can also cause poor production. If crowns appear healthy, and after a while it does look like the plants are not producing, allow them to rest and do not harvest this year. Allow any spears that do emerge to develop fully into ferns so that they can help the plant to make food for the winter. Fertilize over the growing season as needed, and make sure that they get the proper amount of water. Provide mulch and hand weed, being careful around shallow asparagus roots. Next year, harvest very lightly or not at all; allow most spears to produce ferns again, to build up food resources in the crowns.

Hi, Kara,
If these are transplants, you might be able to pick them in their "first year"—first year for you. You will know when you see them: they may be thin, but they would be edible. Watch for overcrowding; if the spears become thinner and thinner, you will need to divide them. (Perhaps your plants are divisions?)
 
 

That's a gift! Do you have any idea how old it is?? Second year beds should not be picked; third year, sparingly over month; fourth or more years, over eight weeks, as often as twice a day, if necessary. Cut with a knife or snap spears off with your fingers at ground level.
Some care tips are above. For example, keep the bed weeded (a good layer of mulch will smother them), and keep the bed thickly mulched, side-dress, or fertilize, in spring and early fall with a balanced organic fertilizer or top-dress with compost tea, and cut down dead foliage in late fall.
Check the soil pH. Asparagus likes it sweet. It, pH, should be 6.0 to 8.0. Your extension, below, can help or get a kit at a garden supply store for a couple dollars. Amend accordingly.
Your local (Wyoming) extension service may be of assistance, too: http://www.wyomingextension.or...
The bed may be doing very well, but you're wise to plan ahead to keep it so.
 

This is normal. Asparagus ferns can be about 2 or 3 feet when young; older plants can produce taller ones, sometimes between 5 and 8 feet tall.

Hi Cory,
If you don't want to amend your garden soil your best bet is to build a raised bed and fill it with a good mix of soil and compost. The bed needs to be at least 12 inches high. The asparagus is perennial and will keep growing and getting bigger.

This is not an easy fix. Pull out as much as you can, making sure that you get as many little pieces as possible. (Some advise screening the soil to be sure you have those bits, but this would be a project.) Then smother the mint, but not the asparagus tips, with layers of newspaper. This will eventually break down, so be ready to add more. And be ready to water the asparagus, if the newspaper seems impervious.
This process wll weaken the mint. In a few weeks, lift some of the newspaper. Remove any pale, sun-deprived mint. You can return the newspaper and keep it there for a while longer; it won't hurt the 'grass. Just be prepared to do it again next season. It may take few attempts to clear.
In the meantime, remove the mint from the surrounding area.

Many gardeners top-dress by adding 1or 2 inches of compost onto a bed in fall and the crowns rise through it.
In the winter, a mulch of 4 to 6 inches is advisable, but is often removed.
So, a foot or so of coverage could be too much at one time for the spears to survive. We suggest that contact your local extension service for more details.

* One of the most important things to do is to remove plant debris in the garden, including spent asparagus fronds, in the fall, since the beetles overwinter in plant debris.
 
* Asparagus beetles are said to be repelled by petunias, marigolds, and basil, so you might try planting those nearby.
 
* Cover the asparagus with row covers during the growing season.
 
* Handpick the beetles and larvae when you see them; you can shake the fronds over a bucket of water to knock the pests off.
 
* Chickens help to remove the pests, if that's an option.
 
* Ask a garden nursery about insecticide options.
 
* Harvest the spears as early as you can.
 
* The spotted asparagus beetle is similar to the common asparagus beetle, but lays its eggs near the asparagus berries, so male-only asparagus cultivars will help to deter this species.

Each crown will produce about 1/2 lb. of spears per year when fully established. Plant 10-12 crowns per person.
Many gardeners don't think that there is much gain from buying 3-year crowns and the younger crowns are less likely to break when planting. Even with the younger crowns you can harvest a few spears after the crowns have been growing a full year.

This is a new question for us! As aspargus and lettuce are "companion plants," it might be OK to plant asparagus beween rows of lettuce and may even help their growth. Many gardeners do not put the asparagus in the regular vegetables beds. Mine is near the compost bin as it loves the heavy organic matter and you really don't notice it. It is vital that your asparagus bed doesn't have any weeds so keep it weed-free.

If you're creating space for an asparagus bed, you just want to make sure it's weed- and grass-free as asparagus can not compete with weeds. You can either treat the area with an herbicide that's OK for food crops or/and you could cover the area with black plastic during the summer before planting time.
You don't have to burn a field. However, some gardeners like to burn the bed every spring to cut back on weeds and insects.

Do not harvest the asparagus during the planting year. Wait until next year. Do not cut down the fern growth at the end of the growing season. Wait until the spring. Then put down mulch and keep out weeds. Make sure you test your soil; amend with lime if the pH is below 6.0 to 6.5. When harvest season comes (watch closely!), pick the spears daily before they start to put on their foliage.

It's best to leave the ferns alone. Cut them back after the first frost this fall.

Asparagus is a cool-region crop. If you sun is very hot move the pots into an area with semi-shade. Asparagus does best in light soil that drains well. Let the soil dry out before you water again so that the roots don't sit in soggy soil.