[DD.]

The old stems are last year's shoots - clear them away.

You may have lost the tips, but they are still edible, cut them and eat them.

You'll get loads more spears appearing, just keep cutting them as they do. Stop cutting them on the longest day (21st June), and let what appears after that grow to let the underground crowns recover.

[MiklovesHerb(s)]

thank you! I'm going up there now to take better care of my new found treasure! is there anything else i can / should do to look after them?

Thanks again for your help guys, i'm sure it will be the first of many stupid questions!

[DD.]

All you need to know:

http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/aparagus/index.php

For now - cut and eat!

[JayG]

Weed them as best you can (if there are deep rooted perennials amongst them you might be better off repeatedly cutting them down to try and get them to give up rather than disturbing the asparagus roots which will be very extensive.)

A sprinkle of general purpose fertiliser around them and then a mulch of compost would no doubt be appreciated too.



.................and also read DD's link which hopefully doesn't disagree too much with the above! 

[DD.]

I don't think it disagrees, but I wouldn't go throwing stuff on them whilst you're cutting & eating!

[JayG]

I don't think it disagrees, but I wouldn't go throwing stuff on them whilst you're cutting & eating!

OK, take your point (although I did say around them rather than on them!)

[DD.]

When you've got 10 thumbs, I find it difficult to target things that finely!

I'd feed before you can see the growth, that's the time the plant needs it.

[MiklovesHerb(s)]

It wasn't asparagus 

it was japanese Knot wood --- i've eatten some!

the big dig starts tomorrow!