Covering asparagus

I used to cut them down once they had died back.  You don't need to cover the crowns.  Have a look at http://www.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=310

Cheers,

Gillie

Cut them back almost to the ground after the ferns have turned yellow/brown (which is not yet in my case)

They are pretty tough plants but an autumn/winter dressing of compost or well-rotted manure will help get them off to a good start next year (and no doubt ease your concerns about frost damage) 

I didn't realise they were a seaside plant! I live about 1/2 mile from the sea and got some seaweed which is now in my compost heap, then heard on here it is illegal to collect it. Is this true? Mine is a first year bed but it is not as sheltered as I'd hoped and the winds today.......! I'm considering using two layers of clematis netting tied horizontally onto the pallets that surround the bed on three sides so they don't get blown around so much or I'll get horizontal spears. 

It used to be standard practice to give asaragus beds a good application of salt to keep them weed free. Probably OK on sandy soils, but I can imagine heavy soils would lose their structure and become like plasticine.

Today we have glyphosate that can be used when the crop is dormant with no green stalks. Commercial growers have residual weedkillers which are not available to home growers.