Would need to know much more about your feeding and watering practices for these beds to know. Sure weather/climate can play a role but that role is usually easily overcome when the grower provides all the nutrients and water regularly.

And isn't it awfully early in your location to be expecting normal production already? It is here.

Dave

This year's spear production has more to do with last year's weather and management than anything happening this spring. It is possible that plants did not store adequate root reserves going into last fall. Sometimes we ignore asparagus after we finish a 8-9 week harvest regime but it may need water, weed control or insect control. Japanese beetles were fairly severe in our area last year and they can set asparagus back. Fusarium can also be taking a toll on your aging bed since resistant varieties were not available 20 years ago. Those are problems that can affect all three of your beds. Depending on how your bed responds it may be time to consider a fourth bed.

We had a few harvests so far this spring and much more on the way but the biggest issue I notice is a few bent spears from pushing through dry soil. That is an issue of our dry Spring. We have been having rain forecast for much of the last week but what we get is a few drops here and there. I'll admit that I never irrigate asparagus but I feel that insect and weed control are more important.

Well, I have to confess that our weed control is very poor. We have so much else to take care of. :( I was already thinking of a 4th bed. I think we're not supposed to plant them so deep anymore, right? I think it used to be 18" deep.

This is about the normal time they produce. Another problem is the trees around them have grown and they probably don't get as much sun as they should. I think we'll prepare a new bed this summer for a Fall planting, where it will get more sun.

Thanks for your replies.

You got to watch the sun light. Good light, good plants.

Not near that deep. Select a well drained area and til the soil to 9-10" deep and work high phosphorus fertilizer into the soil in a 3 ft. band of the row. Then make a trench about 7-8" deep to place your root crowns and cover with 4" soil so that the initial soil level in the trench is still 4" lower than surrounding terrain. As plants emerge carefully cultivate remaining soil against plants through the season until terrain is level. This is deep enough to help plants cope with dry weather.

Thanks everyone!

Forgot to mention another hindrance, groundhogs. I harvested about 20 lbs. of spears this morning but at least two dozen were chewed half off. I found 2 holes in the street bank next to the bed and set a conibear trap on each one. Every year when I think I've eliminated all of the groundhogs on my property a few more show up.

Barrie, just out of curiosity, how many plants/how big is your asparagus bed(s)? I reeally want to get a couple of beds started next year, but I haven't been able to figure out how much I should plant.

Wow...that is a LOT of asparagus. I prefer fresh, too, but I'm not against frozen/canned when fresh runs $2.50/lb at the grocery store, so it'd be nice to have enough to put some up for later.

The market sales were more of an incentive to plant more. Market members were indicating that they wanted to start earlier so what a better early crop than asparagus. There have also been restaurants that featured asparagus and would purchase some but many prefer the consistent import crop. So you are wise to have reservations. Since 90% of the worlds asparagus is grown in China many U.S. vegetable growers are reluctant to compete with that supplier.

Well, finally......at least one of the beds is starting to put up thicker stalks, after putting up thin/spindly ones for awhile. I figure those first ones were just scouts. :)

I've heard that asparagus will put up spindly stalks if it's overcrowded - is that true?

Sloan - yes to some extent overcrowding will stress the crowns. Most of the hybrid Jersey variety suppliers suggest 12-15" spacing in row but Nourse farms recommends 8" spacing on the Purple Passion and Pacific Purple that I put in last year because the spears can be huge and the closer spacing will cause the spears to be closer to 1/2" diameter. This year my Purple Passion are certainly large spears. The Pacific Purple seems to be a little later to emerge but many of them are pretty big as well.