Asparagus issues this spring

JerryHaskins · April 21, 2016

Anybody else grow asparagus?

My wife gave me some 2-year old crowns about 10 years ago. I planted them in a large bed (24'x4').

Per the asparagus guidance, we did not harvest any the first year; only a few the second year; and lots of great asparagus every spring since.

But this year, the asparagus just put up mostly skinny shoots about the diameter of a pencil, and then quickly bolted to the "fern" stage.

I had removed the old (last year's) growth and fertilized.

I am wondering if the plants are reaching their end-of-life stage. I see in Wikipedia that they normally live 10 to 20 years.

By the way: fresh asparagus is MUCH better than store-bought asparagus.

But if you plant asparagus, realize that it is a perennial and will be there a long, long time. And it grows to about 5 feet tall, the fern-like tops get thick in the summer, and will shade out nearby things if you plant it where it can do so.

April 21, 2016	#1
JerryHaskins Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Mississippi Posts: 166	Asparagus issues this spring Anybody else grow asparagus? My wife gave me some 2-year old crowns about 10 years ago. I planted them in a large bed (24'x4'). Per the asparagus guidance, we did not harvest any the first year; only a few the second year; and lots of great asparagus every spring since. But this year, the asparagus just put up mostly skinny shoots about the diameter of a pencil, and then quickly bolted to the "fern" stage. I had removed the old (last year's) growth and fertilized. I am wondering if the plants are reaching their end-of-life stage. I see in Wikipedia that they normally live 10 to 20 years. By the way: fresh asparagus is MUCH better than store-bought asparagus. But if you plant asparagus, realize that it is a perennial and will be there a long, long time. And it grows to about 5 feet tall, the fern-like tops get thick in the summer, and will shade out nearby things if you plant it where it can do so.