Comments on: Spring in Full Force http://www.gardenprattles.com/spring-in-full-force/ In a Vermont Garden Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:32:37 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: sarah http://www.gardenprattles.com/spring-in-full-force/comment-page-1/#comment-39 sarah Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:52:50 +0000 http://76.12.76.33/?p=27#comment-39 It is interesting to hear from different parts of the country, like "Razorback country". Yes, let the asparagus run its course. After the fern like stalks turn brown (they grow to an amazing height), I cut them down. I give the bed a layer of compost or manure and then mulch them with the cut stalks. The rain and snow compacts the branches into a nice mulch. In the spring I take off the branches, but the asparagus spears usually beat me to it and I see them poking up through the old stalks. Next spring, harvest the thickest spears and let the smaller spears continue to grow. It is also recommended that you limit your harvesting period to two weeks in the fourth year. It sounds impossible, I know, but you will reap the benefits in the years following. Good luck! It is interesting to hear from different parts of the country, like “Razorback country”. Yes, let the asparagus run its course. After the fern like stalks turn brown (they grow to an amazing height), I cut them down. I give the bed a layer of compost or manure and then mulch them with the cut stalks. The rain and snow compacts the branches into a nice mulch. In the spring I take off the branches, but the asparagus spears usually beat me to it and I see them poking up through the old stalks.

Next spring, harvest the thickest spears and let the smaller spears continue to grow. It is also recommended that you limit your harvesting period to two weeks in the fourth year. It sounds impossible, I know, but you will reap the benefits in the years following. Good luck!

]]> By: Sam http://www.gardenprattles.com/spring-in-full-force/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Sam Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:00:35 +0000 http://76.12.76.33/?p=27#comment-38 I writing to you from Northwest Arkansas, "Razorback country." And I have a question about your statement "...asparagus snuck into every dinner..." Ahhh, my wife and I are looking forward to enjoying the same thing next year. We put in two rows of two-year old asparagus crowns around mid-April and after a slow start they have been popping up all over the place. Based on our reading we are to just let this first year of spears go to a "fern-like" state, let them die out and then just wait for next year and be prepared to have "asparagus snuck into every dinner." Our question is about the fern-like growth. They are quite numerous and extremely full blown. Just when I think the sprouting of more spears is finsihed, "pop," here come a few more. Do we just let the plants run their course, turn brown and die? If that's the case, what should we do after that? Thanks for your help and by the way we have gone through four full tumblers of compost this year and possibly have two more to go. Warm Regards, Sam and Carolyn Sansom < I writing to you from Northwest Arkansas, “Razorback country.” And I have a question about your statement “…asparagus snuck into every dinner…”

Ahhh, my wife and I are looking forward to enjoying the same thing next year. We put in two rows of two-year old asparagus crowns around mid-April and after a slow start they have been popping up all over the place. Based on our reading we are to just let this first year of spears go to a “fern-like” state, let them die out and then just wait for next year and be prepared to have “asparagus snuck into every dinner.”

Our question is about the fern-like growth. They are quite numerous and extremely full blown. Just when I think the sprouting of more spears is finsihed, “pop,” here come a few more. Do we just let the plants run their course, turn brown and die?

If that’s the case, what should we do after that?

Thanks for your help and by the way we have gone through four full tumblers of compost this year and possibly have two more to go.

Warm Regards,
Sam and Carolyn Sansom <

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