Asparagus is low maintenance after harvest, but it is not zero-maintenance. Postharvest tasks to keep the field healthy include moderate weed management, fertilization and, in some cases, irrigation. These tasks should not take much time, but ignoring them may decrease plant health and vigor the following year.
When is the harvest over for asparagus?
The harvest is over when we stop cutting the spears and allow them to grow into ferns. It is important to let the ferns grow instead of harvesting spears all summer long. Every time we remove a spear, we remove a stem of the asparagus plant.
What is the best way to store asparagus?
Get your freshly cut asparagus into the cool as soon as possible. It will stay fresher and keep better the sooner you get it into the refridgerator. Once in the fridge it will keep well but as expected the sooner you eat it the better. Of course you can keep it in the fridge, give some to your friends or freeze it.
When to divide and transplant asparagus?
First harvest: In the third year, make your first harvest a light one. Once the plants become more robust in subsequent years, you can harvest more heavily. If you notice a decline in robustness after several years, you may want to divide and transplant your asparagus.
What is the best way to cut asparagus?
Using a sharp knife with a serrated edge (you can buy special asparagus knives) cut the asparagus cleanly 2- 10cm (1"-4") below the ground. Take care not to cut the crown of the plant burried beneath the spear.
When should I burn my asparagus?
In spring, it is best to remove them from the field and burn or compost them elsewhere in order to minimize asparagus insect pests like asparagus beetles and pathogens that have been overwintering in the ferns.
Does asparagus keep growing after you pick it?
Asparagus is certainly a prized garden crop for a reason. Not only is it incredibly crisp and delicious when fresh, but it is one of the rare perennial vegetables that, when cared for and picked appropriately, will continue to produce bountiful harvests for years.
What to do with asparagus after it bolts?
Once the asparagus has ferned out, cut the foliage back in the fall and mulch heavily with compost to over winter. Remove the mulch in the spring and wait patiently for the delicious, tender shoots to emerge.
Should I let asparagus go to seed?
0:000:49Let your asparagus grow once it goes to seed #shorts - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBecause once it's fully grown it's kind of hard. But leave these little baby asparagus. This is whenMoreBecause once it's fully grown it's kind of hard. But leave these little baby asparagus. This is when the seed drops. They start growing little baby ones all. Over. Let your asparagus.
What happens if you don't Trim asparagus?
It is not necessary to trim asparagus. On some spears, especially fresh, pencil-thin stalks, the woody ends may not tenderize once cooked. But on larger stalks, the ends of the asparagus are often woody and dense—Which makes them difficult to chew, no matter how soft the asparagus is after cooking.
How many times can you harvest asparagus?
Early in the season, you might harvest 7- to 9-inch spears every two to four days. As air temperatures increase, harvesting frequencies will increase to once or twice per day. You can have up to 24 harvests per season, after which you can allow crowns to fern and grow out.
How do you prepare asparagus for the winter?
Once the fronds have been cut back, cease watering the asparagus entirely. The idea when winterizing asparagus beds is to protect the crowns from cold injury. Spread 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) of mulch such as straw, wood chips, or other organic materials over the crowns.
Why can't you eat asparagus the first year?
Don't harvest any asparagus spears during the first two years that plants are in the permanent bed because they need to put energy into establishing deep roots. During the third season, pick the spears over a four-week period, and by the fourth year, extend your harvest to eight weeks.
Does asparagus come up every year?
Unlike most vegetables, asparagus plants are perennial, which means the same plants grow in your garden year after year. The spears that we enjoy as a vegetable are the new shoots that emerge in spring.
How can you tell a male from a female asparagus?
Asparagus Sex Determination Asparagus is dioecious, which means there are both male and female plants. Female asparagus produces seeds that look like little red berries. Male plants produce thicker, larger spears than females. The flowers on male plants are also larger and longer than those on females.
Why are my asparagus spears so thick?
As the asparagus plant matures, less growth is dedicated to producing crude fiber and the spears thicken with soft, soluble fiber and other nutrients.
Does asparagus multiply?
A mature stand of asparagus plants produces spears over several weeks, up to eight weeks. During this time, a healthy plant should yield around 20 spears. When asparagus plants grow in a sunny site with good drainage, proper irrigation, and adequate nutrients, the plants multiply and become crowded over time.
Will asparagus spread on its own?
Yes, asparagus will spread as it grows. Asparagus roots can spread out up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) underground. Asparagus ferns (mature spears with foliage) can spread out 3 feet (90 centimeters) above ground. An older, more mature asparagus plant will send up more spears from its larger crown and energy reserves.
Does asparagus multiply?
A mature stand of asparagus plants produces spears over several weeks, up to eight weeks. During this time, a healthy plant should yield around 20 spears. When asparagus plants grow in a sunny site with good drainage, proper irrigation, and adequate nutrients, the plants multiply and become crowded over time.
What month is asparagus ready to pick?
AprilIt starts to show up in mid to late April. On the West Coast, particularly parts of California, asparagus pops out of the ground about a month earlier. Wherever you are when the local asparagus starts to grow, you can be assured of one thing: it's a sure sign that spring managed to beat winter back once again.
How long can you pick asparagus?
Asparagus can be harvested over a three to four week period during its second growing season. In following years, asparagus plantings can be harvested until early to mid-June. Harvest asparagus by cutting or snapping the spears when they reach a height of 6 to 8 inches.
How to extend asparagus season?from ehow.com
To extend the harvest, grow two separate asparagus patches, suggests Clemson University Extension. Harvest one patch traditionally in the spring, but do not harvest the other one. Instead, allow it to fern out.
When should asparagus be harvested?from gardeningknowhow.com
During this initial harvest year (year three), plants should only be harvested the first month of optimum production. Removing the spears for more than a month during this important year of growth will weaken ...
How to manage asparagus weeds?from extension.umn.edu
Weed management. By the end of harvest, weed pressure may be heavy in the asparagus stand, especially if herbicides were not used. Remove weeds after harvest and before ferns start to grow. This prevents weeds from producing seed and reduces competition for the ferns. Hand-pull large weeds and perennials.
How to kill weeds after spear harvest?from extension.umn.edu
To kill small emerged weeds (less than three inches) and prevent new weed emergence, apply a pre- and post-emergent herbicide mix postharvest. You must apply this in the small time window between the final spear harvest and fern growth, so it is best to do it the same day as the final harvest and fertilization.
How long does asparagus grow after planting?from gardeningknowhow.com
Planting asparagus from seed allows one to grow any variety of the vegetable, but growing from one year old crowns allows for harvesting asparagus more quickly– three years after planting crowns. Learning how to pick asparagus ensures the lifespan of your asparagus bed.
What does a female asparagus plant do?from gardeningknowhow.com
Female plants devote much of their energy to seed production and can be identified when red, berry-like seeds appear later in the season. Male plants, who devote no energy to seed production, offer thicker and longer spears which are what one desires when harvesting asparagus.
How to tell if you are stopping harvesting?from extension.umn.edu
Three signs to stop harvesting include: Spear growth and emergence has slowed down considerably. Spear width is less than pencil size. Heads are ferning out (expanding) on spears less than six inches tall. Daily harvest weights gradually decrease after the peak harvest in early June.
How to cut asparagus from the ground?from asparagus-lover.com
Using a sharp knife with a serrated edge ( you can buy special asparagus knives) cut the asparagus cleanly 2- 10cm (1"-4") below the ground. Take care not to cut the crown of the plant burried beneath the spear. Some would advise not cuttingbelow groudn but at groudn level to avoid admaging the crown.
When to remove asparagus weeds?from extension.umn.edu
Remove weeds after harvest and before ferns start to grow . This prevents weeds from producing seed and reduces competition for the ferns.
How Big Should the Spears be When I Cut them?from asparagus-lover.com
You need to cut the spears before the tips start to open up to form asparagus ferns. When the tips open up a substance called Lignin is produced which makes the bottom part of the stalk tougher. This is the plants way of preparing the stalks to bear the weight of the ferns. You want to cut the spears before they reach this stage.
How to kill weeds after spear harvest?from extension.umn.edu
To kill small emerged weeds (less than three inches) and prevent new weed emergence, apply a pre- and post-emergent herbicide mix postharvest. You must apply this in the small time window between the final spear harvest and fern growth, so it is best to do it the same day as the final harvest and fertilization.
How long does asparagus grow after planting?from gardeningknowhow.com
Planting asparagus from seed allows one to grow any variety of the vegetable, but growing from one year old crowns allows for harvesting asparagus more quickly– three years after planting crowns. Learning how to pick asparagus ensures the lifespan of your asparagus bed.
What does a female asparagus plant do?from gardeningknowhow.com
Female plants devote much of their energy to seed production and can be identified when red, berry-like seeds appear later in the season. Male plants, who devote no energy to seed production, offer thicker and longer spears which are what one desires when harvesting asparagus.
How to tell if you are stopping harvesting?from extension.umn.edu
Three signs to stop harvesting include: Spear growth and emergence has slowed down considerably. Spear width is less than pencil size. Heads are ferning out (expanding) on spears less than six inches tall. Daily harvest weights gradually decrease after the peak harvest in early June.
How to cut asparagus from the ground?from asparagus-lover.com
Using a sharp knife with a serrated edge ( you can buy special asparagus knives) cut the asparagus cleanly 2- 10cm (1"-4") below the ground. Take care not to cut the crown of the plant burried beneath the spear. Some would advise not cuttingbelow groudn but at groudn level to avoid admaging the crown.
When to remove asparagus weeds?from extension.umn.edu
Remove weeds after harvest and before ferns start to grow . This prevents weeds from producing seed and reduces competition for the ferns.
How Big Should the Spears be When I Cut them?from asparagus-lover.com
You need to cut the spears before the tips start to open up to form asparagus ferns. When the tips open up a substance called Lignin is produced which makes the bottom part of the stalk tougher. This is the plants way of preparing the stalks to bear the weight of the ferns. You want to cut the spears before they reach this stage.
How to kill weeds after spear harvest?from extension.umn.edu
To kill small emerged weeds (less than three inches) and prevent new weed emergence, apply a pre- and post-emergent herbicide mix postharvest. You must apply this in the small time window between the final spear harvest and fern growth, so it is best to do it the same day as the final harvest and fertilization.
How long does asparagus grow after planting?from gardeningknowhow.com
Planting asparagus from seed allows one to grow any variety of the vegetable, but growing from one year old crowns allows for harvesting asparagus more quickly– three years after planting crowns. Learning how to pick asparagus ensures the lifespan of your asparagus bed.
What does a female asparagus plant do?from gardeningknowhow.com
Female plants devote much of their energy to seed production and can be identified when red, berry-like seeds appear later in the season. Male plants, who devote no energy to seed production, offer thicker and longer spears which are what one desires when harvesting asparagus.
How to tell if you are stopping harvesting?from extension.umn.edu
Three signs to stop harvesting include: Spear growth and emergence has slowed down considerably. Spear width is less than pencil size. Heads are ferning out (expanding) on spears less than six inches tall. Daily harvest weights gradually decrease after the peak harvest in early June.
