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How to Harvest. When the spears appear in spring, harvest them when they are 6 to 10 inches above the soil line, but before the flower buds are open. Simply cut or snap off the spears at ground level. Continue harvesting for six to eight weeks, but no later than July 1.
How do you know when asparagus is ready to cut?
Spears are ready to harvest when they are about 6 to 8 inches tall and at least a half-inch thick. If the tip of the spear has started to open and produce foliage, otherwise known as going to seed, you’ve waited too long to pick it. It’s still technically edible, but it will be woody and tough.
Does asparagus regrow after cutting?
After the end of the harvest season, the spears should be allowed to grow. A spear is really just a plant shoot, and the shoots will grow into the mature fern that recharges the crown for the next harvest season.
What month do you harvest asparagus?
Asparagus spears will be ready for harvest shortly after the soil temperature reaches 50°F (10°C) in early spring—that’s when spears will begin to emerge. Two weeks before spears begin breaking through the soil, pull the winter mulch back and cultivate the asparagus patch lightly loosening the soil and uprooting weeds.
How tall should asparagus be before you cut it?
Harvest and Storage. Once asparagus plants are strong enough to be harvested, cut all new shoots in spring when they are about 8 inches tall, snapping them off at the soil line. Many seasoned gardeners use a knife to cut below the soil line, but it is important to avoid cutting into emerging spears nearby.
Where do you cut asparagus?
You should cut right where the stalks turn from white into green. If you’re still not convinced, do a side-by-side comparison with two asparagus stalks of the same length and size. Use the bend-and-snap method with one stalk and see how it compares to a stalk that has been trimmed with a knife.
Why do you cut asparagus below the ground?
You need to cut the spears before the tips start to open up to form asparagus ferns. When the tips open up a substance called Lignin is produced which makes the bottom part of the stalk tougher. This is the plants way of preparing the stalks to bear the weight of the ferns.
Should you cut down asparagus ferns?
Ideally, asparagus should be cut back in the fall but it is important that you wait until all of the foliage has died back and turned brown or yellow. Once all of the foliage has died, cut the asparagus down to about 2 inches (5 cm.) above the ground.
What happens if you don’t cut asparagus?
Strong growth after the harvest ensures healthy spears the next season. Along with the ferny growth, female plants produce red seeds. These seeds drop to the ground and become new plants if not removed.
How does asparagus multiply?
Asparagus plants are long-lived and vigorous. When asparagus plants are growing in a sunny site with good drainage, proper irrigation, and adequate nutrients, the plants multiply and become crowded over time. A mature stand of asparagus plants produces spears over several weeks, and even up to eight weeks.
Can you grow asparagus from a stalk?
Soak them in water for 24 hours and then sow them in seed flats for eventual transplanting, or place them directly in the garden. In a few weeks, the first wispy stems will appear. The first spears will take much longer; it will be two or three years before your first harvest.
How do you cut asparagus from the ground?
Simply cut or snap off the spears at ground level. Continue harvesting for six to eight weeks, but no later than July 1. If you notice decreased production and vigor in your asparagus plants, stop harvesting and let the plant store energy for next season.
Where is asparagus grown in Australia?
More than 90 per cent of Australian asparagus is grown in Koo Wee Rup, 70 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, and in Mildura in north-western Victoria.
How long does asparagus take to grow?
It takes three to four years for a young plant to develop the maturity needed to support annual harvests that last four to six weeks. Until then, one must harvest sparingly.
What is the difference between male and female asparagus?
Asparagus is dioecious, which means there are both male and female plants. Female asparagus produces seeds that look like little red berries. Male plants produce thicker, larger spears than females. The flowers on male plants are also larger and longer than those on females.
What are the stages of growing asparagus?
The stages of growing asparagus are composed of planting, maintenance and care, and harvesting. Growing asparagus is straightforward, but like all crops, this perennial vegetable has a set of requirements for each stage.
Why is my asparagus so thick?
Ferretti explains that crude fiber is the cellulose-based material found in the outer layers of celery and other vegetables. As the asparagus plant matures, less growth is dedicated to producing crude fiber and the spears thicken with soft, soluble fiber and other nutrients.
When can you harvest asparagus after planting?
No spears should be harvested during the first growing season. Asparagus can be harvested over a three to four week period during its second growing season. In following years, asparagus plantings can be harvested until early to mid-June.
How much stem Do you cut off asparagus?
So we prefer to snap one stem to find where the woody part stops, and then line up all the rest and slice them at the same point. To make sure this works with all thicknesses of asparagus, we put our method to the test with three generous bunches of asparagus: skinny stalks, medium stalks and thick stalks.
Which part of asparagus do we eat?
You can eat the whole spear except for the woody stem towards the bottom. Hold the asparagus spear on each end firmly. Gently bend the asparagus so that it bows out away from you. Keep bending until the asparagus snaps.
