Have been busy with the house and cleaning the yard. An old garden in the back needs some much needed TLC for use next year. But some asparagus have grown to massive ferns. They're about 7 feet tall now. Do I leave these be or cut them?
by tgahnjaa
Have been busy with the house and cleaning the yard. An old garden in the back needs some much needed TLC for use next year. But some asparagus have grown to massive ferns. They're about 7 feet tall now. Do I leave these be or cut them?
by tgahnjaa
9 Comments
I think those are asparagus ferns. So don’t do anything with them now
I leave any that fern out, so the roots stay strong. You have some good sized spears poking up too- don’t let those get too tall before you harvest!
Congrats on the new house and old garden!
Here is a good article:
[Growing asparagus in home gardens](https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-asparagus)
The asparagus is a gold mine. Have you seen how expensive they are at a store?
It’s still very early in the asparagus cycle in Ohio. I’d cut them down and watch for new spears. Harvest those at 6-8”. Let them go to fern by the end of May or so.
I have to say, you are going to have your hands full with that garden. There are so many thistles or dandelions in there, that you will really will have your hands full.
It took me one very diligent summer to eradicate thistles in my yard. The previous owner had really let them go, but not as badly as this.
Don’t even bother with weed killer, it won’t kill thistles. I had to dig and chop the thistles out, and stay on it every single time I saw a smidge of green coming up.
My BIL is a farmer, and works at a grain elevator. He said the best time to spray is in the fall, but on a day where it’s above 65 degrees F. I guess in the fall, the plant is trying hard to take in nutrition for the winter, so it might work better.
And then you can wait until next year to see what makes it. The problem is that thistle seed has sprouted after 100 years in the soil. So every one of those plants could have dropped 100 more seeds. And every seed that’s sitting on the surface may sprout another weed.
There is an old adage that I always remember; ‘A year of seeds means 7 years of weeds’. Don’t let any more go to seed.
I also see dandelions. I am battling them right now in my yard. 😝
Asparagus is very hard to start. You’re very lucky to have it started! Usually takes great effort to build the layers of soil and roots and then 3 years or so to produce edible asparagus.
What do the ferns do? Seed?
Gorgeous AND beneficial! You’re giving them a nice rest so they can photosynthesize all season and come back bigger