I normally let the asparagus patch go to ferns after the shoots get the
size of a pencil. Today, while weeding, I picked half a dozen tender
asparagus spears that tasted just as good as the first shoots of spring. I
also note the local stupidmarket is offering fresh asparagus from Mexico at
an outrageous price. I live in Eastern Ontario in zone 3b. There must be a
way of forcing asparagus to produce later in the year or special strains are
used. My asparagus seed came from the University of Guelph and is called
"Guelph Centennial", an all male variety. Anyone got an answer?

Farmer John

In article , Fudge wrote:
There must be a
way of forcing asparagus to produce later in the year or special strains are
used.

I've heard that if you don't pick it in the spring, you can cut down the ferns
during the late summer and pick for a couple of weeks.

Mike Blake-Knox

"Mike Blake-Knox" wrote in message
...
In article , Fudge wrote:
There must be a
way of forcing asparagus to produce later in the year or special strains
are
used.

I've heard that if you don't pick it in the spring, you can cut down the
ferns
during the late summer and pick for a couple of weeks.

Late in coming, but...

My dad had an asparagus bed for years, and said if you harvested only a
portion throughout the growing season (letting ~some~ of it go to ferns,
even in the spring, you could harvest much later in the summer.

Next year I'll be able to start harvesting from our bed, and I plan to try
this on some of the plants, just to see if it really works.

Marilee



Mike Blake-Knox