What is causing thin asparagus spears?

Question

We have a 6 to 8 year old bed of asparagus last year late & now this year the spears only grow to about 1/8 of a inch thick & kind of stringy.

What is causing this?

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 01 '13 at 15:01

I can think of four possibilities:

You aren't feeding your plants enough during the growing season so they are slowly starving to death. Asparagus needs adequate nutrition to keep producing well.
You are picking them too heavily in the spring, and not giving the plants enough time and resources to recover.
Your bed is slowly being choked out by female plants due to uncontrolled reseeding every year, and the more productive (but infertile) male plants are being out-numbered.
Your bed isn't getting enough sun.

Do any of these strike a chord?

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 14 '13 at 15:53

0

If you are living anywhere around New England it is because the temperature drops at night. Has dropped 40 degrees past two nights

answered May 14 '13 at 15:53

Four_lo

I live in the upper midwest. This happens in the summer also. – wayne May 14 '13 at 15:57
only other guess is the female plants are taking over for some reason. – Four_lo May 14 '13 at 16:14

2 Answers2