Asparagus bed

[jokey]

hi all

can anyone tell me what my asparagus bed should look like now?  Its my second year of two year crowns and was hoping to cut this year for a few short weeks.  Anyhow it looks so not green and not that alive, we have fed it well and it looked soooo healthy the end of last year.  Is this normal??  Help!!

jo

[jokey]

[small]

I don't know where you are, but here in the East Midlands there is nothing showing in my asparagus patch yet. Last year we ate the first spears on 25th March but that was much earlier than usual. Don't panic yet!

[Melbourne12]

Nothing yet showing here in Harrow, in spite of recent mild weather.  I'm not expecting anything for a while, tbh.  Remember that when it grows, it grows rapidly.

[Ninnyscrops.]

If you look beyond the twiggy peasticks to the raised bed, you'll see my asparagus bed. I cut down the ferns in December to between 4-6 inches from the ground. These serve as a frost deterrent until the spring shoots appear, and none yet as it's still early for them.

Ninnys

[artichoke]

My East Sussex bed is over 10 years old, very productive, and I don't expect to see anything until mid-April at the earliest.

[jokey]

thanks all,

you've made us feel a lot better - whew, thought they were a gonner

jo

[chriscross1966]

I was always told by my dad that the reason he didn't grow asparagus was that by the time our rather cold clay produced a crop it was so cheap at the local PYO (other side of the hill and a lot nicer soil) that there was no point....hoping that the south-facing site and nice light soil gets mine going early....

remember that the old myth about putting salt on asparagus beds is not because they like salt, it's because as seaside derived plants they're very tolerant of it and most things like weeds aren't....

[artichoke]

Ah....that's interesting. I always thought it was a myth because over the last 45 years our asparagus has thrived on pig manure and no hint of salt. It completely passed me by that the salt might discourage weeds without harming the asparagus. Thanks.

[hippydave]

i have a few spears just appearing now but ive covered them over an im in north notts