Asparagus care

If you have followed all the advice on asparagus care you will have asparagus ferns turning yellow by the autumn (October time). I never cut the stems back for they hold snow which is good for the bed.

Depending on what variety of plant or seed you have chosen you will either have all male plants or a mix of male and female asparagus plants.

Only the female plants produce berries, and this uses up some of their energy and as a result they have a lower yield of spears by as much as 1/2 or 1/3rd compared to their male equivalents.

My final piece of advice on asparagus care is weed control, the bain of my life! I’m afraid I hate weeding, but that is just what you are going to have to do. You really don’t want to be hoeing unless very shallow and light as the asparagus roots are quite close to the surface and easily damaged.

If you feel you need to use a weed killer, then you are going to have to be very careful. Use a glycophosphate based product and apply it carefully to the leaves of the weeds avoiding the asparagus. Read the instructions carefully especially as concerns the use on vegetable crops. Apply in late fall after the bed has turned yellow.