Early this summer I planted some established asparagus plants in a specially made raised bed.
Being new to asparagus growing I was wondering when to chop the ferns back.
Doing a bit of internet research I've come across 3 versions of what to do!
First is chop back the ferns in the autumn. Second is chop back the ferns before the berries ripen. Third is leave the ferns!
Help!!!
Also, next season, could I be cheeky and pick a portion in it's 2nd year?!! It looks tooooooo good!
Others say cut them when they go yellow- that's what I've done the last couple of years.
i always cut my asparagus down in autumn (when the plant has turned yellowish), i used to pick all the berries off but stopped doing that a few yrs ago. And no i wouldnt cut any next year and i would only take a few in the third year.
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try this for info, it's got it all!!
Very interesting, Tony- no mention of planting the crowns on mounded earth,and he leaves the ferns on over winter. I'm even tempted :-[ to try glyphosate rather than trying to move them.
Wonder how the climate in Ohio compares to ours?
My first year too, the ferns will be chopped down when they turn yellow in a few weeks time.
Read on Wikipedia about adding salt to the soil and growing tomatoes as a companion plant?
Ninny
It is best to cut the ferns down now to stop a nasty beetle getting in (I forget it's name) They are dry and dying off anyway, burn them if you can, they soon burn in a garden incinerator with a bit of old newspaper soaked in used cooking oil.
The female ferns with berries are supposed to be taken out as soon as the berries are spotted becuase the best asparagus is from males but if you want to keep the berries to grow your own let them get red and plant the seeds from the berries in pots indoors (greenhouse) they can be transplanted to individual pots when big enough and yes it does take 5 years to get a proper harvest. It does work because I have done it.
We cut ours down any time during late autumn/early winter when we've got time, when they've died back.
And no - don't cut any next year!!!!
The year after, just a few per plant.
The year after that, pick what you want, but stop on May 31st.
Then you can pick as much as you want every year for the next 30 years....
QuoteRead on Wikipedia about adding salt to the soil and growing tomatoes as a companion plant?
Has anyone tried this salt solution?
No I've always thought salt was not v good for the soil but yes i've grown tomatoes amongst the asparagus plants and, until the blight struck, they did very well. The asparagus helps support them too.
asparagus is a sea-shore plant, and likes a bit of salt (usually provided by seaweed mulch)
Thanks Grawrc - I'll have ago with a few tom plants at the edges of the bed next year.
Thanks Tony - looks like a trip to Worthing then ;)
Ninny
Great advise as usual folks ;D I knew I could rely on you lot!
Quoteusually provided by seaweed mulch
Unfortunately no sea weed around here. I wonder if that guy from Denmark grows good asparagus he was really big on seaweed. I could dip some comfrey in salty water.
I think he got put off by some hostile posts and so no longer uses the site.
Quote from: tonybloke on October 06, 2009, 23:48:07
asparagus is a sea-shore plant, and likes a bit of salt (usually provided by seaweed mulch)
It's not so much that it likes it, but it is very tolerant of it in a way that most plants, especially some of our more persistant weeds, aren't... as you keep an asparagus bed going for 15-20 years a little salt early on gives the asparagus a massive competitive advantage over nearly everything else and once they're established to their full size they'll beat most things short of a Jeruslaem artichoke, PFA or one of the more rampant cucurbits anyway.....
chrisc