Asparagus harvesting Question

[Mary McHugh]

Ok, so I was a little slack this year on harvesting the spears. A few got away from me. Should I leave them be or cut them anyway?

Thanks Mary

[JRYezierski]

[Loki]

il Sun, 09 May 2004 17:50:41 -0400, Mary McHugh ha scritto:

You're meant to leave some ferns uncut to provide energy for the plant. each year anyway.

[Mary McHugh]

About 7-8 years.

Just started so maybe 1-2 weeks. I usually follow the advice to harvest until the spears become as thin as pencils. Then I let them fern out. I still have plenty of thick spears coming up.

I usually harvest around 6-8".

[Mary McHugh]

Well, I do but only after the spears shrink to pencil-thickness. I was wondering if letting a few fern out early will reduce my yield next year. I still have lots of thick spears coming up.

Thanks, Mary

[Katra]

Your plants will thank you for it. :-)

When I harvest Asparagus, I let it get a little tall, then just "snap" the top off. The lower part that remains then ferns out to develop the root system.

K.

[JRYezierski]

All right .You should be able to pick till the end of June if you are in zone 5.As about that time its getting very hot and they are growing like crazy that you could harvest in the morning and again in the evening (which you do not want to do if you want the bed to last you another 15 years.

You are missing some tasty stuff if you are not picking the thins ones now and eating them.Penicl thin are great #2 bunches that sell like crazy around here.We always cut dowen the thinner than pencil ones while we were harvesting as it gives the roots a rest. If you harvest until it gets too hot or all that you are getting are "skinnys" than stop for the season. Since your bed is young you should get another 15years out of.Unless evan at the begging of the season all you have a "skinnys" than its time to replant.

And if you cut them about 2inchs below ground you are doing excellent. The snapping them off some folks do really isn't that good for the roots as often it will keep growing or bleed/seep which weakens the root,as when cut under ground it gets an instant band-aid. When harvesting you should be cutting down all the spears that are thinner than a pencil just leaving the ones that are too small to pick today.You should also be picking all the "crooks"(ones that are bent over due to a windy day) as they are just a tasty. We grew for the Boston veggie market for years and all we ever ate were the rejects,crooks,skinnys whcih most of the time was just the tips when we finished bunching the days harvest up. A good asparagus bed should last you 20 to 35 years when taken care of. Hope this helps you out. Jerome

[Loki]

il Mon, 10 May 2004 09:51:34 -0400, Mary McHugh ha scritto:

So I saw in your last post. Afraid that's the limit of my knowledge. :-)

[Loki]

il Mon, 10 May 2004 09:15:50 -0500, Katra ha scritto:

Now that's what I call getting two for the price of one. :-) I wonder if yield is affected in the same way the cutting of blooms encourages more blooms.

[Katra]

Not sure, I'm still pretty new with asparagus, (had the bed for 3 years now) but the lower part that is left ferns out nicely and the snapped top is tender and tasty!

K.

[JRYezierski]

"Snapping off" as a way to harvest your asparagus isn't the best you can do as what remains above ground will still grow going to fern which will have the plant put its energy into growing the fern and not its root(whioch you want root growth to have a bed that last up to 30 years with a heavy harvest each year)while it its harvest season. Other reason is it may still be bleeding/dripping sap where if you had cut it below the surface an inch or so the soil would act like a bandage to stop the bleeding/dripping sap. Your asparagus roots will yield better crop if picked clean daily during the harvest season and than let turn to its "fern"at the end of harvest season till early next spring.Meanwhile you have kept the weeds under control and givin it some food. Happy eating. Jerome

"Katra"