Asparagus Production Advisory, Looking to 2012 from 2011 Conditions

Prof. Steve Garrison

Due to widespread foliar diseases on asparagus fern growth this summer, in many field blocks the fern died back BEFORE slowly yellowing and translocating its food stores in the fern to the asparagus storage roots required to support next year’s 2012 crop load.

Our asparagus sage, Professor Emeritus Steve Garrison, gave us his observation and recommendations this week for not over-cutting or over-harvesting affected weak asparagus fields in 2012. Steve recalls the 1970 growing season shared similar conditions to those seen this year. Over-cutting in the subsequent year weakened the beds permanently, and set the stage for years and years of Fusarium asparagus crown and root rot decline in NJ fields.

Steve advises monitoring your asparagus beds very closely during the 1st week of cutting in 2012. If daily bed yields are weak, or spear diameter starts falling off quickly during early harvest, he advises shortening the harvest season dramatically to protect the future investment in life of the production field.
- Jack Rabin, Michelle Infante-Casella

Fleshy storage roots need to receive adequate carbohydrates
from the previous year's fern to support healthy yields.