Asparagus question

[toonartist]

Hi,

Does anyone else have trouble with asparagus plants that get bent over by winds?

I planted asparagus last year and have let them fern out, but the plants get so tall (seems about 4-5 feet) that they blow over in the winds. I'm afraid this will damage the plants.

A friend told me NOT to stake them because it would make the plant weaker. But I'm thinking if the fern snaps in two before it can suck up

enough energy for next year that would be worse.

Does anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[FDR]

If they are that tall then they are certainly getting a lot of energy I'd think.

I planted 2nd year roots 2 months ago and they are only a foot or so tall.

[Jan Flora]

Can you put up a visqueen windbreak on the windward side?

I don't know if wind will hurt the fern stage of asparagus or not.

I put visqueen on the windward side of my strawberries, just so the bed won't dry out so fast.

Jan Zone 3

[OmManiPadmeOmelet]

I use tomato cages to "stake" my asparagus ferns.

[The Cook]

Leave them alone. We planted our asparagus last year and the fronds got to be about 5 or 6 feet tall. They stood just fine in all kinds of weather. This year they are about 6+ feet all. A couple of the neighbors asked what the trees were.

[John]

My asparagus is in a raised bed on the north side of my garden. At the outside four corners of the bed I have nailed a four foot high 2x2 stick. I run a taught line from stick to stick, basically "fencing" in the tall asparagus stalks. I do this only to keep them from falling on top of the tomatoes and other things in adjacent beds. Otherwise I'd just leave them alone. I cut the old stalks down to the ground in early winter.

J.

to> Hi,

[Ann]

"toonartist" expounded:

Yea, I do. I'm just letting them lay down, it doesn't seem to hurt them, they're lush and green and new fronds are coming up every day.