Your comments and tips

08 Dec 21, KrC (USA - Zone 10b climate)

Hello. I planted a bed of asparagus last year and they grew beautifully. I did not harvest any stalks and the bed is full of ferns. I live in Los Angeles, where the weather has stayed quite temperate, even though it is now December, The ferns are still green. I'm concerned they may not die back fully in our climate. Can I cut the ferns down before they brown without harming the plant?

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11 Dec 21, (USA - Zone 6b climate)

I stop watering in mid Autumn and cut my ferns off end of Winter. This gives them time to die off. The first year I watered and fertilised through winter.

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24 Nov 21, pete Basabe (USA - Zone 12b climate)

Hi, Something is eating my asparagus below the soil line. The new shoots are being hallowed out like small caverns below the soil line. This quickly weakens the shoot and then it dries up and dies. The only insects I can find are small (1/4 in) round black beetle like insects that live in the dirt around the new stalks. The full grown stalks do not seem to be affected by these little guys. Any ideas? Thanks, Pete

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18 Mar 22, Nancy Spencer (USA - Zone 9b climate)

Sorry you're having this problem Pete. Here in Florida, we have something called pocket gophers. They burrow underground, leaving occasional piles of dirt at the surface. They feed off of the roots of vegetables. I am berrying fencing all around the perimeter, 1 foot deep, to prevent them getting in to my asparagus. It should stop the bunnies too! Don't know if this help but I wish you luck in solving this.

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10 Nov 21, Edward Phahamane (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

I am a first time asparagus enthusiast... I would like your advise on planting asparagus on the rich loam soil on a plot on a river bank. What type of asparagus will be good to plant there? Do you make cross border sales because the plot is in Lesotho? Kind regards

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17 Nov 21, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

Use the internet to see where to buy in S A.

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07 Nov 21, Pam (USA - Zone 10a climate)

I have purple asparagus, about a 7 year old bed. I read to only harvest spears that are larger than a pencil, but if I do that the smaller ones turn into "bushes" and hide the larger spears. Is this the correct way to harvest and grow? Question 2: I read to only harvest them for a certain number of weeks and then when they start getting pencil thin, to stop harvesting. but this seems like such a short harvest season, and the plants still want to produce. It is as if my asparagus bed is bushy more than it is in the productive mode. Is this correct? Can I continue to harvest longer? Question 3: Can I plant the poisonous red balls and they will grow into new plants? I thought my old plants would reproduce, but my bed seems to be about the same annually. I just don't feel like a confident grower, and the sources I read don't seem to provide information specific enough for my needs. thank you

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18 Feb 22, Vee (USA - Zone 10a climate)

What varieties can I grow in zone 10a? Jupiter, Florida

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10 Nov 21, Anonymous (USA - Zone 5a climate)

Asparagus needs two things.1. It needs some ferns left at the end of growing season to feed and build the nutrient storage in the crown for the next season. 2. They also need fertiliser in the growing season. Here is what I do. I cut the ferns off end of winter, give a good watering, a good fertilising, then 6

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19 Oct 21, Kimberley (Australia - temperate climate)

My first attempts at growing asparagus were from seedlings. Very slow growth and few spears. Then I put in Mary Washington crowns 2yrs old. The first year I harvested a handful of spears. This is the second year- I’ve had continuous harvest since a early spring. As suggested, I’ve let a few ferns grow so that the crowns can develop and will increase my feeding so I get more spears next year. I have boy and girl crowns. Do you recommend an all purpose fertiliser at this time ?

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