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Harvesting asparagus
Tra
Posts: 38
in Fruit & veg
Hello,
I was wondering what is the best length to harvest asparagus?
Are we looking at about 8inches before it is cut? I have one asparagus that over the weekend has grown to well over 16inches! It's a giant! Whilst others are only about 4 inches in height!
Also, is it to be cut just above or just below soil level?
Once cut should I then mulch it or should I expect more to shoot up?
It's a young bed - and not all of the asparagus crowns I planted have developed.
Many thanks!
0
Posts
When did you plant the crowns? Asparagus mustn't be harvested for the first couple of years after planting or you'll never get a decent crop, the crown won't develop and the bed will fail. You just leave the shoots to develop into asparagus fern.
If the bed is three years old you can follow the RHS advice here
"Harvesting
Do not harvest for the first two years after planting. In the third year, harvest spears from mid-April for six weeks. In subsequent years you can harvest for eight weeks from mid-April.
To harvest, cut individual spears with a sharp knife 2.5cm (1in) below the soil when they are no more than 18cm (7in) tall. In warm weather, harvest every two to three days for the best quality spears..."https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=310
Hope that helps
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Many thanks Dove,
I put the crowns in 2 years ago in early Spring. I put in 14 and only 5 crowns have developed and have came through so they’re dotted about the bed.
I once harvested, should I apply some manure or mulch with chippings/bark to stoo the weeds?
I think the crowns I’ve lost were the result of not hand weeding enough so I think thus impacted growth. I shall plant more next year.
Many thanks,