We live in zone 5. We had a small parch of asparagus that produced
well, but we wanted more, so we planted a row of roots last year. All
came up, but the spears were thin, as one would expect from new plants.

Last winter was exceptionally cold. When I went out to the garden this
year, only two plants had produced small spears by the end of May; one
was the original patch, and one was from one of the new plants. This
morning the original parch has thrown up a second spear.

I'm thinking I'll wait a couple more weeks, then conclude that the
plants that have not produced are kaput.

How long should I wait before digging up the corpses and replanting.

On Sun, 01 Jun 2014 11:25:03 -0400, "Not@home" wrote:

We live in zone 5. We had a small parch of asparagus that produced
well, but we wanted more, so we planted a row of roots last year. All
came up, but the spears were thin, as one would expect from new plants.

Last winter was exceptionally cold. When I went out to the garden this
year, only two plants had produced small spears by the end of May; one
was the original patch, and one was from one of the new plants. This
morning the original parch has thrown up a second spear.

I'm thinking I'll wait a couple more weeks, then conclude that the
plants that have not produced are kaput.

How long should I wait before digging up the corpses and replanting.

Zone 5, especially in the north east, was exceptionally cold this
winter. Your plants may be late.

On 6/1/2014 3:40 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
On Sun, 01 Jun 2014 11:25:03 -0400, "Not@home" wrote:

We live in zone 5. We had a small parch of asparagus that produced
well, but we wanted more, so we planted a row of roots last year. All
came up, but the spears were thin, as one would expect from new plants.

Last winter was exceptionally cold. When I went out to the garden this
year, only two plants had produced small spears by the end of May; one
was the original patch, and one was from one of the new plants. This
morning the original parch has thrown up a second spear.

I'm thinking I'll wait a couple more weeks, then conclude that the
plants that have not produced are kaput.

How long should I wait before digging up the corpses and replanting.

Zone 5, especially in the north east, was exceptionally cold this
winter. Your plants may be late.


Very bad year for winter kill. My hydrangeas and butterfly bushes
looked dead but are recovering but I did lose my rhododendron.

Took much longer before the first two started showing life.

On 6/1/2014 8:25 AM, Not@home wrote:
We live in zone 5. We had a small parch of asparagus that produced
well, but we wanted more, so we planted a row of roots last year. All
came up, but the spears were thin, as one would expect from new plants.

Last winter was exceptionally cold. When I went out to the garden this
year, only two plants had produced small spears by the end of May; one
was the original patch, and one was from one of the new plants. This
morning the original parch has thrown up a second spear.

I'm thinking I'll wait a couple more weeks, then conclude that the
plants that have not produced are kaput.

How long should I wait before digging up the corpses and replanting.


I mix edibles with ornamentals; and my garden is all perennials, bulbs,
shrubs and trees. So, of course, my edibles consist of artichokes and
asparagus in addition to fruits.

For some 30 years, I had very productive asparagus planted behind some
low-growing flowers. Every spring, we would have asparagus with dinner
1-2 times a week for about 6-8 weeks.

Then we had a very rainy winter. All the well-established asparagus
plants rotted in the ground. Some, however, had dropped seeds. After a
few years, the seedling plants were beginning to mature sufficiently
that I hoped to have at least a small harvest. But once again, we had
an exceptionally wet winter; and they all rotted.

This spring, some next-generation seedlings actually put up spears worth
harvesting; but I decided to let them grow even more mature just in case
our current drought ends as so many prior California droughts ended --
with record-breaking rain storms.

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

Frank wrote:
Brooklyn1 wrote:
"Nothome" wrote:

We live in zone 5. We had a small parch of asparagus that produced
well, but we wanted more, so we planted a row of roots last year. All
came up, but the spears were thin, as one would expect from new plants.
Last winter was exceptionally cold. When I went out to the garden this
year, only two plants had produced small spears by the end of May; one
was the original patch, and one was from one of the new plants. This
morning the original parch has thrown up a second spear.
I'm thinking I'll wait a couple more weeks, then conclude that the
plants that have not produced are kaput.
How long should I wait before digging up the corpses and replanting.

Zone 5, especially in the north east, was exceptionally cold this
winter. Your plants may be late.

Very bad year for winter kill. My hydrangeas and butterfly bushes
looked dead but are recovering but I did lose my rhododendron.
Took much longer before the first two started showing life.

I don't know your location but I'm in the northern Catskills, many
times the temps were -20ºF. About half of a pansy redbud is kaput,
same with an American beech... too much snow and slow melt didn't help
either... I dug out two young blue spruce today that didn't survive
drowning, my bad for planting them in a low spot. Every year I lose
something due to weather. Winters here can be brutal. Gardening
everywhere is a challenge.

On 6/1/2014 6:45 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
Frank wrote:
Brooklyn1 wrote:
"Nothome" wrote:

We live in zone 5. We had a small parch of asparagus that produced
well, but we wanted more, so we planted a row of roots last year. All
came up, but the spears were thin, as one would expect from new plants.
Last winter was exceptionally cold. When I went out to the garden this
year, only two plants had produced small spears by the end of May; one
was the original patch, and one was from one of the new plants. This
morning the original parch has thrown up a second spear.
I'm thinking I'll wait a couple more weeks, then conclude that the
plants that have not produced are kaput.
How long should I wait before digging up the corpses and replanting.

Zone 5, especially in the north east, was exceptionally cold this
winter. Your plants may be late.

Very bad year for winter kill. My hydrangeas and butterfly bushes
looked dead but are recovering but I did lose my rhododendron.
Took much longer before the first two started showing life.

I don't know your location but I'm in the northern Catskills, many
times the temps were -20ºF. About half of a pansy redbud is kaput,
same with an American beech... too much snow and slow melt didn't help
either... I dug out two young blue spruce today that didn't survive
drowning, my bad for planting them in a low spot. Every year I lose
something due to weather. Winters here can be brutal. Gardening
everywhere is a challenge.


Northern DE.
Reading about winter kill, it is not just the cold but evaporation or
sublimation of moisture from the plant. Probably what did in the
rhododendron.