Asparagus is a delicious perennial vegetable that every homestead should grow if given the opportunity. It will provide the family with food for decades , as long as the asparagus is not out-competed. You should never cut living asparagus ferns, especially if you want to enjoy asparagus the following year.
Allow your ferns to grow wild until the very end of the growing season. At first frost, many plants die back; asparagus may linger for a bit before dying back. Those plants will also have berries with fertile seeds inside, which if allowed to rest in place, the berries will drop from the plants spreading new seeds across the bed.
As spring approaches, these berries will rot, and the seeds will sprout into tiny, young asparagus seedlings. Allowing the plant to reseed itself will significantly increase the chances of survival within the bed if something should happen to your asparagus plot. Once the ferns have faded, grasp the plant and find where the stalk meets the ground. Try to prune the stalk at ground level, and be sure that the root is covered generously with dirt.
You do not want the root exposed to winter weather; instead, you want it insulated and warm. With each cut, be sure the roots are not exposed. Try to prune any sickly looking plants, while maintaining the biggest, strongest plants in the bed.
Remove the smallest plants aside from a very select few and the seedlings from the bed. Asparagus can be cut back in autumn in mild winter climates or left until spring in areas with cold, harsh winters. Asparagus fronds turn yellow at the end of summer and then take on a dead, brownish appearance with the autumn frost. Their height and distinctive appearance means that the dead fronds are highly visible in the garden, so many gardeners choose to cut them back. Autumn cutting is best in mild-winter climates where asparagus will overwinter without damage and in areas where asparagus beetles are common.
Cutting back asparagus in autumn will eliminate the habitat for asparagus beetles, which overwinter in the dead fronds and will damage the edible spears in spring. In harsh winter climates, asparagus fronds should be left in place during the winter months.
According to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach , the fronds will hold a layer of snow that will help insulate the asparagus crown from the worst of the cold. Cutting back asparagus in spring should be done after the snow melts but before the fresh new spears emerge from the ground.
If asparagus beetles are present in the garden, cut back the fronds in autumn and cover the crown with a layer of straw to insulate it from the cold. The first step when cutting back asparagus must be cleaning and sanitizing the pruning shears. Wash the shears in hot water with a splash of dishwashing liquid added, rinse well and pat them dry with a clean towel.
A percent bleach solution made of one part bleach and nine parts water works well, as does full-strength household disinfectant. Bleach can corrode metal and must be thoroughly rinsed to keep your pruning blades free from damage. Dip the blades in the disinfectant cleaner and let it sit for at least five minutes. Rinse and wipe the blades after disinfecting them.
Most asparagus ferns will eventually need to be cut apart, and the segments will need to be replanted, which is a propagation method called division. It should be done every few years when the plant has become root-bound or is showing signs of decline, such as sparse foliage growth or a general lack of vigor.
Spring is the best time to divide asparagus ferns, particularly after hard pruning because having shorter foliage will limit moisture loss while the divisions put down new roots. Water the plant thoroughly the night before dividing it so the roots are well-hydrated. The University of Georgia Extension explains that ferns can take some rough handling during the division process. Simply dig up the root ball or remove it from the pot and cut it straight down into halves or quarters using a very sharp gardening knife.
Be sure each division has an equal share of roots and foliage. Transplant the divisions into moist, acidic soil under light shade.
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