Dead Asparagus

[andys]

Hi All,

Has anyone else lost their asparagus bed in the last 12 months ?
Mine was only 8 years old and well established.
It started cropping early in late March last year during the heatwave - then we had two months of cold wet weather, late frosts in May and no more spears were produced and hence no ferns in the summer.
I know last year was the wettest on record for the Durham area, could the weather have been the culprit ?
Other possible problem is that my allotment soil is silty clay so the roots could have been waterlogged although they are in a raised bed.

Good news is I have bought some new year old plants and planted them in a new bed

[Beryl]

Are you really sure they are dead? Everything down here in the south is about a month late and mine isn't even beginning to show yet. I'm not looking to see any spears till about the middle/end of May. My plot was flooded this winter but the crowns are in a raised bed. I planted l year crowns of Framlim 8 years ago. If you haven't taken them out be patient you never know.

Beryl.

[Johnboy]

Hi Andys,
The professional growers are having great difficulty with the Asparagus as it is at least a month late. English Asparagus in the shops at this moment is that grown in tunnels.
In Evesham, Worcestershire, they have a festival of Asparagus and this year without tunnel grown spears the festival couldn't have taken place.
I would leave your Asparagus well alone for the time being and see what happens.
JB.

[andys]

Thanks Beryl and Johnboy,
You are right, everything is at least a month late this spring.
I will hold my horses and not dig out the old bed yet !
Fingers crossed I might have a crop this year after all.