Allotments 4 All

Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Gardners son on May 28, 2006, 20:18:57

Title: Asparagus Harvesting
Post by: Gardners son on May 28, 2006, 20:18:57
Hi everyone,
I'm new to the forums and I joined to ask one question in particular although I'm sure that, now I have registered, I'll visit alot more. Seems like a fantastic website... the only problem being that an apostrophe was not a valid character in my username so it will forever be grammatically incorrect! Curses!
Anyway, I help out alot on my dad's allotment when not revising for exams and as the computer literate one in the house I thought I'd take it into my own hands to visit the website. My intention was to just look up in the wiki section the solution to my problem although it appears not to work  :( .
The problem we're having is in harvesting asparagus as the title of the thread suggests and we've found mixed advice. In a book (which is in the shed AT the allotment so I can't reference it, sorry!) we read that asparagus should be cut off a short way off the ground (can't remember if it was 2 or 3 inches). This is what we did although we then found on another website (can't reference because it was my mum who found it, sorry again!) that you should cut the stem below the ground.
I realise I may well get mixed advice here although any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks, Chris
Title: Re: Asparagus Harvesting
Post by: cleo on May 28, 2006, 20:29:18
Welcome-and why not join with a `can` of worms?-don`t grow it anymore but I used to cut below the soil.
Title: Re: Asparagus Harvesting
Post by: supersprout on May 28, 2006, 20:35:38
welcome to the forum gardeners son :D hope you have many happy hours here when it's too wet/cold to get to the plot
Like cleo, I cut just below the soil

the theory is that this leaves slightly less redundant stem to rot, but isn't so deep as to damage the root. And my mum used to do it that way :P
Title: Re: Asparagus Harvesting
Post by: saddad on May 28, 2006, 21:17:43
I'm a cut above man, the slugs soon sort out the stump and they don't chew the new stems as much!
;D
Title: Re: Asparagus Harvesting
Post by: grotbag on May 28, 2006, 21:25:25
welcome to the site,im a cut below man,whichever way you choose is ok.
Title: Re: Asparagus Harvesting
Post by: Merry Tiller on May 28, 2006, 21:47:26
Below for me
Title: Re: Asparagus Harvesting
Post by: Gardners son on May 28, 2006, 22:11:42
Thank you all. Looks like it really is preference then! thanks again for the hasty replies.
Title: Re: Asparagus Harvesting
Post by: tim on May 29, 2006, 05:49:14
A couple of inches below - to give a 'handle to hold the thing by when you dip it in butter! And some of the white bit is edible, anyway.

And it's tidier!