As a gardening and landscaping expert, I highly recommend against letting your asparagus go to fern. Let me explain why.
When asparagus foliage turns into fern-like growth, it means that the plant is focusing its energy on producing seeds rather than storing it in the crowns for next year’s growth. By allowing the spears to go to fern, you are essentially diverting the plant’s energy away from future growth and weakening its overall productivity.
To ensure a healthy and productive asparagus patch, it is crucial to cut the spears as they come up in the spring. This allows the plant to channel its energy into developing strong, thick spears for harvesting. By promptly cutting the spears, you are encouraging the plant to continue producing more spears throughout the cutting season.
It’s important to note that the cutting season for asparagus typically lasts for about 8 weeks. During this time, you should be vigilant in harvesting the spears as soon as they reach a suitable size for consumption. Delaying the harvest can lead to over-mature spears, which can become tough and fibrous.
By consistently cutting the spears and preventing them from turning into fern, you are helping the asparagus plant build up its energy reserves in the crowns. These reserves will then be used to support vigorous growth and spear production in the following year.
I have personally followed this approach in my own asparagus patch, and the results have been quite impressive. By diligently cutting the spears during the cutting season, I have noticed a significant increase in the overall yield and quality of my asparagus harvest.
It is not advisable to let your asparagus go to fern. Instead, focus on cutting the spears as they come up in the spring and avoid allowing them to mature into fern-like growth. This will ensure that your asparagus plants have ample energy reserves for next year’s growth and will lead to a more bountiful harvest.
