[Emmie]

This year I planted 10 asparagus crowns folowing the instructions supplied and they started to show same spears about 3 weeks later.
Since then the spears had appeared to be eaten by something and since then not a thing.
I can see no sign of life at all on any of the crowns so here is the question - Do I leave then in situ and wait to see what happens next year and grow nothing in this area or do I give them up as an experiment gone wrong and utelise the much needed space?
I only have a half plot and I try to use every square inch possible.
Thanks.

[savbo]

I'd gently dig down to see if there are any shoots on the way. You should have a few shoots per crown this year, enough to give quite a big display of foliage...

slugs have a go at asparagus but to lose the lot seems unlucky. If there's no sign of shoots maybe they've succumbed to disease? Or rotted off?

sav

[Aunt Sally]

That's happened to my freshly planted asparagus this year.  I've put slug pellets down and a net over them (just in case its pigeons) and it's growing away happily now.

[Lardman]

I was thinking the cold weather this year may have kept the spears from growing at their full speed exposing them to the slimy ones for a longer period than normal. Several of my spears show signs of heavy grazing !

[Chicken Pete]

I have had a similar experience as none of my new plants showed this year,however, on advice I gentle dug down and found the roots. They seemed healthy but showing no signs of shoots so I covered them up again and keeping my fingers X'd that they decide to make an appearance next year!!!

[devonbarmygardener]

My asparagus is well pelleted!

I'm so chuffed to have spears for the first time.
I've been trying to grow asparagus since 2007!

[DD.]

I have had a similar experience as none of my new plants showed this year,however, on advice I gentle dug down and found the roots. They seemed healthy but showing no signs of shoots so I covered them up again and keeping my fingers X'd that they decide to make an appearance next year!!!

I could be wrong here, but I've never heard of an asparagus crown laying dormant for  whole season and then sprouting next.