Yesterday , went out fer a lil paddle on L.I.Sound , out to a lil island an a quick break an check out the flotsum an jetsum in the tide line . Now that the nesting season is done I went down the beach that was previously filled with nestors. What’s this looks like asparagus, 5’ from the high water mark . This island hasn’t been used in the past 12 yrs. , cept by the cormorants an Canada geese , oyester catchers , killdear , sandpipers an the occassional boater . I know this was NOT a garden plot , it’s on the small beach , and there are NO fresh water springs runnin down . So how’d it get there - a seed volenteer , bird poop , a wash up ???
It is at harvest peak time , way tender and just the right touch o sea salt on it -yum !
Question is can I harvest some without killing off it’s reseeding ? or will it come back as the root system is already in place ?
Thanks
M
Grows wild… reproduces …
The ditches along my grandfathers farm had volunteer plants that apparently came from when the fields were planted in the 1940s. It was a weekly tradition in my family on the Sunday afternoon ride to go harvest a bit. Not sure how much you can harvest before you kill it off. The state of Utah has condemned the farm to build a highway which now open this fall. We no longer have access to the property but my cousin reports there is still aspargrass growing healthily. Last time I picked some there it seemed kind of tough and not much taste. Not sure if that is a result of multiple generations cross breeding, poor soil, or other environmental factors.
sounds like
he waited too long to harvest .
Thanks
The shorter…
…the better. I grow my own asparagus and it can be harvested until the stalks start looking really whimpy. Let it grow after that point and it will come back every year. Don’t cut the stalks you plan on picking. To harvest, bend the stalk and it should snap off easily. If it doesn’t snap then it will be too tough to eat and you should just let it grow. As long as the bud hasn’t opened up it should be tender (6-8" is the best).
Tom
Luck you!
If I found a patch of wild asparagus that has not been harvested by others, I would keep it a guarded secret.
Grill it!
yep
Harvest away. The first few years of a planting, you don’t want to take more than half the stalks. After that, you can take about 80% of them, and the root systems will still be able to get enough energy to reproduce.
THANKS all ya’ll
My asparagus just started
producing last week. I usually harvest a couple times per week till mid July. I then let it grow the tall fronds and go to seed. When they dry out in the fall I cut them down to the ground, and you’re ready to harvest again in the spring.
Could it possibly be…
Johnny Asparagus?
Jim
ducking for cover
I agree String.
Toss it in butter with a little garlic salt and grill it on a HOT grill for the sear marks. The sear marks really seals the deal on taste.
Harvest away and enjoy
Just make sure you let at least 20% of the stalks grow out to full fonds to feed the plants for next year.
We had an asparagus patch for about 20 years and started to notice a reduction in production. Then one day I came home from work and found our yellow lab-golden retriever mix in the asparagus bed wagging her tail and grazing on all the asparagus like a cow. Eventually she got all the spears and there was nothing left to fond out and the patch died. But for a while that was one happy puppy.
And regular, I am sure!
Jim