Asparagus Harvesting

[FoxHillGardener]

This year is finally the year so I've been doing some googling.

Opinion seems divided on how big you should let the spears get and how many to cut. Bob Flowerdew on GQT yesterday said you should cut every spear otherwise it inhibits new growth. I've read other things that say leave the spindly ones.

I know I can only cut them for a few weeks as it's just their third year so I need to get the most out of it.

At the risk of generating another load of differing opinions, what do you all do?

[BeBe48]

My first year too. I read about 5 - 6 inches is about right although I thought I read that it was best to leave a few spears not cut the lot. But I didnt remember that until after I had cut all the spears today and had my very first serving - delicious it was too!

[FoxHillGardener]

BeBe48, I left them alone for the first two years and this is their first harvest in year three. Is that that what you meant by first year? First harvest rather than first growing? The first couple of years are for building up the roots. Ignore me if that's what you meant

In the end I chopped the lot last night for tea and noticed some others on their way through. I'm with Bob

[BeBe48]

Sorry - I meant my first year of harvesting. Its been a long 2 years waiting!

As it is the first year of harvesting should I harvest for less than the normal? I read that harvesting should stop on 21st June which would give a good 8 - 9 weeks. Although I have 2 rows one row is a bit behind the other so maybe I could go on til 21st June

[FoxHillGardener]

RHS say that first year harvesting should be for only 6 weeks, so when you stop depends on when you started.

Subsequent years you can do 8 weeks

Asparagus / RHS Gardening

[raine]

How many crowns did you all plant? This is my second year but last year I could only count about 8 spears and that wont go very far!

[Glutton4...]

Don't forget, if you stand the spears in a glass of water, they will continue to grow. Change the water daily, and keep them somewhere cool, and they will last up to about a week. That way, you can actually gather enough over a few days, for a decent helping!

My Dad gets out and harvests it when it's only about 5cm tall, but I leave it until it's a little longer, as it saves me having a jar of it taking up space in our small kitchen. I think he does it just to get it before I do!

If there are any thin whispy ones early in the season, we cut them, and use them in sauces, rather than letting them seed.

[raine]

I've never heard of that before-right, only another year to go!!

[leicestershirelass]

Year 3 for me too .. I planted 9 crowns in my polytunnel and 8 have grown. We've had a 3 'pickings' off them up to now and I can see the next lot popping through.

However of the 9 crowns I planted outside only 6 have grown and there are just a couple of spears visible, so hoping that we'll have an extended succession of spears (fingers crossed).

I did try growing outside from seed and seemed to be doing really well until the dreaded weeds overtook them whilst we were away on holiday, by the time we got back it was difficult to separate asparagus from weeds and ended up clearing them and starting again.

[Two_Sheds]

do you think we left this one a bit too long?