Did you know that the delicious asparagus spears you know and love are actually the shoots of a recurrent florescence plant life ? While its flowers are beautiful , most gardener who rise edible asparagus want to harvest and enjoy it as a vegetable . The in effect news is that asparagus isvery easygoing to garden– even if you ’re a novice .

You will want to be patient , though . Because Asparagus officinales require great deal of time to establish itself , you should n’t harvest it until its third year . However , asparagus will reinforce you for your solitaire ; these plants can grow spears for about 15 old age if care for properly .

To learn more about harvest asparagus and harvest the benefits for many seasons to come up , follow these dim-witted steps below !

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Tools You’ll Need

There are only a few materials you ’ll need to harvest your Asparagus officinales :

When to Harvest

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To get a bountiful crop , you must wait until the plant is prove . Theasparagus plantusually takes three years to full mature , so be patient ! If you beak your plants too early , you may damage their root organisation and stunt future growth .

When give of the third yr arrives and the edible asparagus spears pop to poke through the ground , you ’ll presently be able to jump harvest home . Let these   spears reach 6 to 8 inches in height before harvesting them – you will destroy next year ’s craw if you do n’t wait . The gig maturate very quickly , so you ’ll require to chink on your Asparagus officinales patch often .

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Asparagus is a prolific vegetable . You ’ll want to reap every couple of days – sometimes every day in the height of the time of year ! In asparagus ’s first harvesting time of year ( the third twelvemonth ) , you may want to prefer for a short harvesting time of year of about a month .

By the fourth year and beyond , you should be able to harvest fishgig for a full eight hebdomad ! The asparagus time of year is over in   early to mid - June in the United States .

Cutting

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Care for Asparagus in the Fall and Winter

Asparagus is a perennial veggie , meaning it comes back year after year . So , taking attention of your edible asparagus bed in the fall and wintertime is important to ensure a liberal harvest the following spring .

admit asparagus   ferns to turn and only trim them back after they ’ve brown ( endure dormant ) . While they ’re still green , they ’re engaging in photosynthesis and roll up nutrient for your asparagus to get next season .

When slew back your asparagus , cut back it to about 2 inches above the stain line . Then , add a sparse level of mulch to the ground . This will help keep the soil lovesome over the wintertime .   Since asparagus is dormant in the winter , you do not need to fertilize or water it .

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Asparagus Pests

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Aphids , edible asparagus beetles , and Japanese beetles are rough-cut pests found crawl around Asparagus officinales . Some gardeners say that allowing your edible asparagus ferns to Robert Brown before cut them back helps keep asparagus beetles at bay .

If you ’re having trouble with pests , tryneem oilor pyrethrin ; they ’re both constitutional options that are effective against many different pests . Even though these insecticides are constitutional , they are skin thorn , so be heedful around your piddling ones , human and non - human alike .

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Enjoy Your Fresh Asparagus

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Now that you know how to glean asparagus , enjoyeating your fresh bounty ! Asparagus is a healthy vegetable that is a good source of vulcanized fiber , vitamins A and C , and folate . just wash out the spears and cut back the ends before savor . Add edible asparagus to salads , saute as a side knockout , or even pickle it !

Fresh edible asparagus will last longer if stored in good order . Trim any excess bow then wrap tightly in aluminum enhancer , or plastic wrapping , or place it in an airtight container with a damp paper towel on top to keep it moist . locate it in your refrigerator ’s vegetable draftsman and eat within about a calendar week .   If you have the way , place the spears upright in a deoxyephedrine container with 1 to 2 column inch of water at the bottom .

harvesting asparagus

you may also block edible asparagus if you plan on using it by and by on — simply organise it according to the instructions above , then spread it out onto an atomic number 13 foil - describe baking flat solid until frozen solid . Then , transfer the frozen shaft into Deepfreeze bags .

Final Thoughts

Asparagus is an well-heeled - to - mature vegetable that loves sun and water and is bully for novice gardener . As long as you have patience , growing asparagus is a fun and exciting hobby   to do with Quaker or family . Plus , it ’s a great agency to get outdoors and relish the warm weather .

With so many different ways to fake it , there is no doubt that you ’ll be reap the benefits of your plentiful harvesting . Keep these lead in mind as you count growing asparagus , and you ’ll doubtlessly have a harvest that you ’ll enjoy .

Man harvesting of green fresh asparagus

aphids on plant

asparagus on a cutting board