That's the problem, it's their first year and I have heard you shouldn't harvest the first year or hopefully it's just you shouldn't harvest too many the first year.
Yes, that is what I have heard too. The plants need to work on building roots this year, but next year you can pick a few spears. I have a patch of 2 years roots that I should be able to harvest a few from this year. It's worth the wait Toni, so be patient!
I am thrilled to report that found an early bird too. In our 4 ft box I saw one asperaguy peeking up and hurried to get Peg to show her. Thank God for the simple pleasures of spring.
We planted ours last year (25 roots) so this year we can pick some, but next year we should be able to have enough to freeze some too!
Watch them as they grow . If ya get several from one root its ok to take 1. The whole deal is they need to grow up into ferns to suply the roots with light and do the green thing. If ya clip them all the roots would starve out. Just keep that in mind. We pick some and let some grow and have for several years now, so far so good. The ferns are quite beautiful when they get big and the dew sparkles on them. They look lie they are jeweled. Once big ferns are going like the big purple stalk in the center then you can safely harvest the ones growing around it. The roots will be fed by the big leafy fern.
I had lots of fern growth last year and in a warm period in February there was a lone fern showing off. I have to dig out the package the roots came in to see if it says how old they are.
That's kind of the opposite of how I harvest from mine. Through the years I used to only harvest the spears that weren't too wide or thin. I quickly discovered that once the thicker ones send out the ferny growth, the new growth from the bottom slows right down. So now, I harvest ALL the stalks until the new growth becomes the width of a pencil or smaller from my established patch. Then I stop the harvest and allow them all to fern out. It seems to work well ... I am able to harvest more each year. Maybe it is different for warmer climates, but that's how I do it in my zone 5.
I sure aint no expert and really alls I was saying is ya gotta let some grow to ferns we pick at the beginning then as the ferns grow and have cut the ferns back and started over we harvest a few the first year. Oh and they are really starting to come up now we each broke us 1 and ate it standing there giving thanks for them.
Mmmm, there is really nothing like the taste of fresh picked Asparagus cajuncappy! It's rare that all the spears actually make it back to the house ... I just pick and eat right there!
