On Aug 21, 1:04*pm, Stan The Man wrote:
I am growing asparagus for the first time (from 1yr-old crowns) and I'm
thinking that the bed is getting a bit out of hand with some 'spears'
over 6ft tall and all 16 crowns producing vigorous shoots growing at
all angles! (Do they need staking?) I have resisted the temptation to
cut any for the pot but I need to know what to do next, and when.
Should I cut them back or just leave them to die back?

I must say that either asparagus is easy to grow or I am more
green-fingered (or fortunate) than I thought. I have also been
delighted to discover that none of predators hereabouts, including Mr
Rabbit, has shown the slightest interest in my asparagus, so I can add
it to my list of veg which can be grown without protection (among them,
tomatoes, parsley, parcel, chives and garlic).

I can't claim to be much of an expert, but what I do with my asparagus
is to leave them alone to die back by themselves. When the stems are
yellow and dryish, I clip them back in late autumn to tidy up the
area.
They are easy enough to grow, and I believe you are right not to have
picked any in their first crop. However, I have made the mistake to
crowd mine somewhat - lots of other stuff a little too close to them.
Consequently, the ground around them ends up overly compacted by foot
traffic to other parts of the veg patch, which is not good at all. I
have had tiny crops because of that - at least that is my own home
spun diagnosis.
I hope, at some point, to re-organise them in an area which will be
given over entirely and exclusively to them for the next 20+ years -
which I've been told was their scale of longevity.
They have to be the most delicious of all veg, though. To me, barely
steamed, they exemplify the flavour of the colour green :-)

Cat(h)