Asparagus

Asparagus can be cut down now or left until spring. It needs removed before new growth. I usually knock it down with the riding mower and burn it. Last year, I put wood chip mulch over the bed to keep weeds down. It worked well. However, I don't want to set the wood chips on fire. This year, I will use the blade on my string trimmer and cut them off and chop the fern growth up for mulch.

Aspargus Harvest

Last week, I started harvesting asparagus. This is a patch that has been there for 35 years. Harvesting will continue for about 7 weeks when all of the spears are the size of pencils. At that point, the spears need to be left to grow into food producing factories for next years crop. The spears grow rapidly in warm weather and everyday harvest is necessary. Spears are tender when harvested 10 inches or shorter by snapping them off at ground level. Asparagus beetles usually do some feeding on the tips. I haven't seen them yet. It has been too cool for them.