any advice on the above subject, i have an asparagus bed that after a couple of neglected years have allowed wicken grass to move into the bed. Can you lift the crowns and then clean the bed and replant? any advice will be gratefully accepted

poisonivy wrote:
any advice on the above subject, i have an asparagus bed that after a
couple of neglected years have allowed wicken grass to move into the
bed. Can you lift the crowns and then clean the bed and replant? any
advice will be gratefully accepted

You can lift the crowns when they are dormant in winter. If you do it would
be advisable not to cut the stems the spring following but give them a year
to recover before you harvest.

Whether this is easier than pulling out the grass I can't guess from here.

Another possibility is to paint glyphosate by hand on the grass but not the
asparagus, this might be easier when the latter has died down.

David

On 2/12/13 1:15 PM, poisonivy wrote:
any advice on the above subject, i have an asparagus bed that after a
couple of neglected years have allowed wicken grass to move into the
bed. Can you lift the crowns and then clean the bed and replant? any
advice will be gratefully accepted

Asparagus crowns eventually grow somewhat deep in the soil. It might be
easier to remove the grass while the asparagus is dormant. You can even
dig 2-3 inches down without reaching the crowns.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary