I've stopped cutting my asparagus and left the plants to go ferny. Some of them are now about 5 ft tall! Do they need staking? Also, one book I have says you should "pick off the berries before they fall" . This sounds like hard work - does anyone do this, and if so, is it just to save the plant's energy?
i had to stake mine last year after a couple snapped in the wind. not sure bout the berries though, mine didnt get that far! we started demolishing the garden!
I put minimal bamboos and string round mine, otherwise they fall about all over other things.
Yes - they can become a nuisance, but I've better things to do!
Found this which kills 2 other birds with one stone?
Clean up dead asparagus stalks over the winter. Hand pick beetles in small plantings. Cutting the shoots very clean and just below ground level every day or two during the cutting season will tend to remove the eggs of the common asparagus beetle before the larvae can establish themselves in a home garden patch. In small gardens gathering and destroying of the asparagus berries will help to give control of the spotted asparagus beetle.
Interesting! Not sure it will be top of my "to do" list, though!