The good news is that your asparagus ferns are tall and wide. That means that they are putting lots of nutrients back into the roots so that you should have a good harvest next year. Cutting them back is not a good idea because then you are cutting back the plant's ability to store food in the roots for next spring. I've never transplanted a whole asparagus bed, but the berries you speak of are seeds and will form new (small) plants. You want your plants to be about 3 years old before you begin a light harvest. Every year either birds or wind wind up moving those berries to another part of my garden and I (in the early spring) transplant them to my continuously enlarging asparagus bed.

You guys say a good feeding. Of what? I typically have a good batch of compost by about March and shovel some on each of my beds. That's the only "fertilizer" I've used so far. I'm on my 3rd year and also ready to start eating! I have raised beds and origionally planted about 20 crowns. It looks like about 10 came back. I am dedicating this 4x8 bed to mostly asparagus with some shade tolerant things planted in between. I'm thinking of planting another 10 this year. What fertilizer besides my compost would do best in this bed? NT

Yes, mine are in a less than optimal spot and that is the reason they are still there..lol. I heard how difficult they were to move and I didn't want to lose a season of bloom because I waited three years actually to see bloom. I would advice anyone considering placing these in the garden to consider doing the best you can to site them right the first time and be willing to leave them there for a long time. They do really want full sun. I have them in afternoon sun from 11:30pm until about 4pm and the blooming has been less than what I am sure it can do. One plant in the same border, evidently gets a little less sun due to trees shading it a little sooner than 4pm and it didn't bloom at all. They also get pretty large and I have had to use support for mine or it is all over the surrounding plants. Maybe due to not enough sun as well? It is very pretty when in bloom and is up against my cream colored siding and that makes it pop too. Maybe next year after it blooms I will move it. [g]

Carrie I believe Thomis is talking about edible asparagus which is related to asparagus ferns but winter hardy. Some of the regular hanging basket types of asparagus ferns are remarkably hardy but not the most common ones. With the houseplant/hanging basket type I just try to keep them cool and free from frosts over the winter. If I have to I give them an extreme haircut but usually because they won't fit anywhere without it. They do really well planted in the ground but can only handle a mild winter in the Raleigh area.