For you gardeners?

[Trapper62]

I planted asparagus this year and know that I shouldn't harvest any for the first couple years, but what can I do with it now? It is about 3'-4' tall an flowered out, one plant has seed pods but most have tipped over and are laying on the ground. Can I cut them off where they are bent over? Mainly to clean up the garden no other real reason!

 

[BDub]

I leave it up over the winter then burn it down in the spring.

Leave the old asparagus ferns until spring before chopping or mowing them. After spears appear, harvest when they are 6-8 inches long. Snap spears off at the soil surface. DO NOT cut the spears because of the danger of damaging neighboring spears not yet emerged. Allow spears remaining after July 1 to develop into ferns.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

You can mow them off once they've turned later in the fall. Or spring as mentioned.

 

[KDM]

The ferns gather snow rather nicely which keeps the soil on the asparagus a bit wetter in the spring IMO. Damp soils seem to produce more asparagus. Something to ponder. Enjoy your new veggie.

 

[Trapper62]

okay, thanks. Working on cleaning up parts of the garden and just seemed to be useless to leave them, but will until fall!

 

[BDub]

The ferns gather snow rather nicely which keeps the soil on the asparagus a bit wetter in the spring IMO. Damp soils seem to produce more asparagus. Something to ponder. Enjoy your new veggie.

This is right on the money. The ferns do a great job of holding snow, thus encouraging spring growth. I have a 25 foot row of asparagus that survived being under water for 2.5 months during the 2011 flood. It loves water.