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"Snapping off" as a way to harvest your asparagus isn't the best you can do
as what remains above ground will still grow going to fern which will have
the plant put its energy into growing the fern and not its root(whioch you
want root growth to have a bed that last up to 30 years with a heavy harvest
each year)while it its harvest season.
Other reason is it may still be bleeding/dripping sap where if you had cut
it below the surface an inch or so the soil would act like a bandage to stop
the bleeding/dripping sap.
Your asparagus roots will yield better crop if picked clean daily during
the harvest season and than let turn to its "fern"at the end of harvest
season till early next spring.Meanwhile you have kept the weeds under
control and givin it some food.
Happy eating.
Jerome

"Katra"
"Loki" wrote:

il Mon, 10 May 2004 09:15:50 -0500, Katra ha scritto:

Your plants will thank you for it. :-)

When I harvest Asparagus, I let it get a little tall, then just "snap"
the top off. The lower part that remains then ferns out to develop the
root system.

Now that's what I call getting two for the price of one. :-) I wonder
if yield is affected in the same way the cutting of blooms
encourages more blooms.

Not sure, I'm still pretty new with asparagus, (had the bed for 3 years
now) but the lower part that is left ferns out nicely and the snapped
top is tender and tasty!

K.