# How to revive an asparagus bed?



## Nel frattempo (Mar 29, 2007)

When we first bought our property it came with a large asparagus bed. We did not know it was there and dumped about 1 foot of wood chips over the whole area. A neighbor told us it was there, we pulled the wood chips off and had a bumper crop of asparagus that first year.....and a smaller one the next. For two years now tho, we have had small and thin asparagus. It has occurred to me that the wood chips may be adding or taking something away from soil? There is about 2 feet to 1 foot of wood chips around the whole bed. What should I add to help the bed out? Seems I have heard that wood chips take out nitrogen from soil? Thank you for any suggestions.


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## Wildcrofthollow (Apr 20, 2005)

Just guessing,

You might want to take the woodchips off completely. We used to put wood ashes on the asparagus bed in the winter. They like a more alkaline soil, i think.


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## mousebandit (Feb 14, 2007)

I've also read that it's important to let the asparagus get really tall and "ferny" after the crop, making sure to water it well during that time, as that is what feeds next years crop. 

Tracey Mouse


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## Nel frattempo (Mar 29, 2007)

We did take the wood chips off the bed itself. The wood chips are still surrounding the bed, in a very large area....probably 1.5 acre...where we are building it up to make more gardens. The byproducts of wood chip decomposition is what would be reaching the asparagus bed. I have not checked deep down...maybe it needs water since we are in dry times. Thank you


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## luvrulz (Feb 3, 2005)

You can fertilize with 5-10-10 after you're finished harvesting your crop this year. Next summer, before it breaks the ground you can fertilize too by broadcasting the crumbles across your asparagus bed. It will produce for several several years as long as you keep taking care of it. We fertilize right before it rains for best results - it soaks in better - but it's not required.

Good luck! Nothing better than fresh asparagus while you're picking!


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## DoubleD (Jan 28, 2007)

Here's what I would do:

Late winter/early spring - rake away and compost any mulch you had on the bed from the prior year. 

I would check the soil ph first. If the test results indicate the need, then so
me garden lime in the asparagus bed area. This is actually better done in the fall, but I am suspicioning this is part of your problem and would not wait.

Make sure the bed is well weeded. Weeds are the number one destroyer of asparagus beds. At the beginning of the year (early early) before the shoots emerge, do a light cultivation and weeding. This removes the asparagus "seedlings" and does your fiirst big weeding. Fertilize with a broadspectrum organic fertilizer and make sure it stays weed free and watered through the first shoot production phase. 

If the shoots continue to come up thin... do not harvest any. Only harvest the larger shoots and consider reducing down the period of time that you are harvesting from the bed each year. Over harvesting saps the energy from the plant - as the shoots left do not have enough time or energy capturing to feed the roots for next year's production - resulting in a declining bed overall.

Once the shoots are up well and the harvest is essentially concluded, water well, add a 1/2 inch to 1 inch layer of good compost and then mulch with chopped straw. Make sure through the growing season that the weeds do not take over and that the plants get adequate water and sun. 

Good luck!


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## Nel frattempo (Mar 29, 2007)

Thank you -- we have not taken good care of this bed as I can now see from all the good ideas. We did have weeds in there too. So -- we will clean it all up and take the suggestions here to heart and have a good crop next spring. Thank you


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