First year asparagus

Hi All,

I have cut down my Asparagus ferns today and mulched with compost  , I have cut them leaving a couple of inches out , as I thought that is what I read, but just looked at RHS and they say cut to soil level .
The tips are under the mulch so will it matter or should I move the mulch and cut back hard?

Thanks Trevor

just looked at RHS and they say cut to soil level .
The tips are under the mulch so will it matter or should I move the mulch and cut back hard?

I find the stalks don't rot away in a single winter, so are in the way of harvesting in the Spring if left "tall"

I would guestimate that we get 1.5 - 2 spears per plant per picking, and that we pick twice a week (or, if we pick more than twice a week we get correspondingly less spears)

I don't think you can pick less frequently than twice a week (spears will start to get too tall and "feather-up", although some varieties keep their spears "formed" for longer), and if you pick more frequently then not all plants will have spears that are ready.  We tend to pick one side of the double row, and leave the other side for "next time", and I guess we are wanting at least 20 spears for a meal - probably not if its just the two of us (in which case I pick a few today, and a few more tomorrow, but that works out at 20 spears per half/week, say.

People are always happy to be given fresh Asparagus so I've never had any trouble getting shot of any excess we produce - and I would prefer that, and to thereby ensure we always have enough for our own consumption, than each "diner" only getting one spear each on a plate ...

I'd be interested in a straw poll to learn:

How many Crowns folk have?
Is it insufficient / enough / plenty?
What size family regularly enjoy then at a sitting?

To answer my own poll :

How many Crowns About 40
Is it insufficient / enough / plenty? Plenty
What size family regularly enjoy then at a sitting? 4 - but we have enough for party-numbers too

Don't worry - having mulched them they are now at soil level! 

They are tough plants unless waterlogged or the crowns are damaged by cutting into them - the mulch will provide additional frost protection over winter - give them a feed in spring and they'll be well away. 

Thanks Jayg, I suppose that is obvious now you say ,    They seem to have done fairly well , planted in March , I think, and had about 4 to 6 Ferns on each , except for 2 I thought I had lost .During the summer though,they both threw up a couple of Ferns , so all 30 have taken only a couple of years to go .

Trevor