Q. I have a raised bed (5 x 10 feet) dedicated to
asparagus. The yield has been magnificent. However, the plot has gotten so
overgrown with old asparagus stumps that I have had to totally remove and
replace all the soil because cultivation was impossible. My question is how
long can an asparagus garden last without being so impacted that it must be
replaced; or, is there a way to deal with spent stumps annually to prevent this
problem.
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| Purple passion asparagus with some rabbit damage. Rabbits love the higher sugar content of Purple Passion |
A. Asparagus rhizomes are normally planted about
12 inches below the soil surface. If started from seed, the seed is planted in
a trench and backfilled as the plants grow so that the developing rhizomes are
still at about 12 inches deep.
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| Asparagus crown for vegetative propagation. Selecting crowns that are male will guarantee a male crop. Spears emerge from the top where the fleshy roots come together |
When
this is done the spears can be harvested by cutting below the soil surface with
a knife so that these “stumps” don’t stay on the surface. If you
harvest the spears by “snapping” them or breaking them above the soil
surface then you will get these woody stumps remaining above the soil surface
and they interfere with future harvesting.
So,
in short, if you can harvest by slicing with your knife an inch or so below the
surface I think this will stop your “stump” problem. The woody part
is cut off after harvesting during food preparation. The woody part should
compost fairly easily.
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| Snapping off spears will cause the spear to break just above the woody portion. Nice for the kitchen but leaves a “stubble” behind in the asparagus bed |
Recent research has pointed out that
asparagus spears can be harvested anytime the spears are pencil diameter or
larger five inches above the soil level. Smaller spears should be left to grow
into fernlike growth to replenish the roots for upcoming seasons. The plant is still expanding its root storage system and
excessive removal of spears weakens the plants. However, there is a market that has emerged utilizing these very thin spears.
harvested cleaning the entire bed and spears are allowed to grow to ferns only
after the harvest period. An asparagus plant will yield an average of 8 to 12
spears per year before the roots need to be replenished by letting the spears develop into ferns.
or snapping. To cut a spear, run a knife into the soil at the base of the spear
and carefully sever it. Because the spear cuts below the point where fiber
develops, it becomes necessary to remove the fibrous base from the tender
stalk. Most homeowners and some small scale growers prefer to snap the spears.
This eliminates any woody growth on the harvested spears. This does however leave a “stubble” on the surface that can make harvesting more difficult.
near the base and bend it toward the ground. The spear breaks at the lowest
point where it is free of fiber. Stalk
diameter is not a good indicator of proper maturity and associated tenderness.
Hydrocooling, or plunging freshly harvested spears into cool, clean water is
strongly recommended.
class (US Number One and US Number Two which are based on straightness and head
compactness) and by diameter 5 inches from the tip (see table) according to
USDA standards for canning asparagus.