Asparagus

Looking after it

Water: Once settled, it copes with dry spells. Water new crowns regularly through their first summer. After that the roots go deep and the plants need water only in long dry spells. Feeding: Asparagus needs an average amount of feeding. Every late winter, spread 5 cm of compost or well-rotted manure over the bed. If growth is weak, scatter a general fertiliser in early spring, before the spears appear.

Harvest and keeping

Cut the spears with a sharp knife just below the soil when they are about 18 cm tall. In warm weather, that means every two or three days. In the first year you cut, stop after six weeks. In later years, stop after eight. Then let the ferny leaves grow and cut them down only when they turn yellow in autumn. Spears keep a few days in the fridge. Stand them in a little water or wrap the cut ends in damp paper. They freeze well after a quick dip in boiling water.

What can go wrong

• Asparagus beetle. In summer, red and black beetles with cream spots and their grey grubs strip the stems and ferny leaves. Pick them off by hand from late spring. Clear away old stems in autumn, because the adults spend the winter there.
• Slugs and snails. They nibble young spears in damp spring weather. Check after dark and pick them off. Keep the bed clear of weeds and debris, where they hide.
• Root rot. On wet, heavy soil, plants turn yellow and die back in patches. On heavy ground, grow asparagus in a raised bed. Never plant new crowns where asparagus grew before.