How much 3rd yr. asparagus should I harvest?
 

...don't want to kill off all the plants by eating it all!! How many
of the spears should I pick? Thanks!!!

I pick all of mine every other day, until the end of June or the first of
July, or until I have enough in the freezer or canned, and then let them
grow the rest of the year.

Dwayne


"Me" wrote in message
...

..don't want to kill off all the plants by eating it all!! How many
of the spears should I pick? Thanks!!!

Me wrote:


..don't want to kill off all the plants by eating it all!! How many
of the spears should I pick? Thanks!!!


The sheet that came with our asparagus crowns this year says to only
pick 2 weeks during the third year. Then add 2 weeks each year.

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral, 48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

From what I've read and my own experience with my beds, you can harvest
until the new growth is as big around as a pencil. At that point, stop
harvesting and let the plants grow into the ferns to regenerate the roots
for next year. Don't hesitate to fertilize with a good organic fertilizer
because they use a lot of energy in the spring sending up those big fat
shoots. After the first freeze the ferns will all die back and you can cut
them to the ground. We mulch with shredded leaves for the winter.
Depending on what zone you're in (I'm in zone 8) begin fertilizing in late
December or early January and I always add about 6-12" of compost to the
beds. They love that, and so do I because they reward me with big fat
stalks. Grilled and drizzled with butter and fresh lemon juice and some sea
salt is my preferred method, providing I can get them from the garden to the
kitchen without eating them raw.
Thomas
"Me" wrote in message
...

..don't want to kill off all the plants by eating it all!! How many
of the spears should I pick? Thanks!!!

In article ,
"Thomas" scythicon311@yahoo(dot)com wrote:

From what I've read and my own experience with my beds, you can harvest
until the new growth is as big around as a pencil. At that point, stop
harvesting and let the plants grow into the ferns to regenerate the roots
for next year. Don't hesitate to fertilize with a good organic fertilizer
because they use a lot of energy in the spring sending up those big fat
shoots. After the first freeze the ferns will all die back and you can cut
them to the ground. We mulch with shredded leaves for the winter.
Depending on what zone you're in (I'm in zone 8) begin fertilizing in late
December or early January and I always add about 6-12" of compost to the
beds. They love that, and so do I because they reward me with big fat
stalks. Grilled and drizzled with butter and fresh lemon juice and some sea
salt is my preferred method, providing I can get them from the garden to the
kitchen without eating them raw.
Thomas
"Me"

lol I heard that one... ;-)
Picked out of the ground and straight to the taste buds eh?
--
K.

Sprout the MungBean to reply

"I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell‹you
see, I have friends in both places." --Mark Twain

On 4/19/05 9:55 PM, in article ,
"Me" wrote:


..don't want to kill off all the plants by eating it all!! How many
of the spears should I pick? Thanks!!!
The longer you can wait the stronger the plants will become and the more you
will have in the future. Leave a few and eat a few...that's what birds and
predatory insects do...leave enough for next years feast! Or you could be
like an insecticide and eat (kill) everything in sight...and leave nothing
for tomorrow or next year.
Gary
PS: I just happened to walk past my asparagus patch...I have enough to feed
the neighbours...well at least the ones that like asparagus! I think the
others had a mysterious upbringing. They only like carrots, peas
etc....boring!

Thank you all! I'm going to harvest a little less than planned...

Kevin

Anyone have experience growing white asparagus?

I've stacked some black plastic pots over the shoots. They are purple
and white probably due to light leakage.