Harvesting asparagus

[ADarkandStormyKnight]

I planted some asparagus 2/3 years ago and have never taken a harvest. I've now got a few promising-looking spears and some thin spindly ones which look unappetising. Do I cut the spindly ones down to encourage new growth or will this kill the plant?

Thanks!

Hopeful bump...

I don't think cutting them off would encourage the plants, and my gut feeling would be not cut off anything that you're not eating.

But it's many years since I've grown asparagus, so this is mainly to give you another bump.

With my asparagus I cut the ones that are big enough to eat. They need to be at least the thickness of a fat pen to be big enough to harvest. Cut them with a sharp knife just above the ground.

The thinner ones I leave to keep growing. They will grow really really tall and thin and then at the end of the summer when they have dried out I cut them down. They will grow again next year thicker.

I'm not sure if that's exactly what a professional gardener would do but it works well for me. I get masses of asparagus from my plants every year.

Thanks! I have four very spindlly stalks which are going to flower. so I'm worried they are taking the energy.

The rest (4 - not really enough for a feast but I will savour them) are thicker and tasty-looking.

I'm keeping them well-watered.

Cut them with a sharp knife just above the ground. I thought you were supposed to cut them as low as possible, and definitely below ground level. That's what asparagus knives are for. Presumably leave less of a stump to rot. On bought asparagus, the white bit is what's been underground.

I have four very spindlly stalks which are going to flower. so I'm worried they are taking the energy. if they're green and have leaves, they'll be making energy, more than enough to compensate for the effort of making flowers, If they're female plants, you can cut them back before the fruit develop.