Neglected asparagus

[Ferrygirl]

I have just acquired a 3 year old asparagus bed which has been neglected. The bed is full of a mix of weeds including some couch but mainly dandelion, daisies, dead nettle and that sticky stuff – goosegrass. I tried clearing the soil today (just pulling off the green stuff) and despite being as careful as i could i still managed to knock the tops off a couple of the asparagus spears that are just coming through. The weeds did not want to be cleared either!! The soil is dense clay (the chap i took the plot over from was very fond of his rotavator!)
My question is what is the best option to improve the soil and cheer up the asparagus?!
I have access to 1 year old (also neglected and weedy) horse manure (which i am sorting carefully to remove couch and bindweed stems uggh!) and fresh clean manure.
Thanks.

[charles]

 Hello Ferrygirl, you have a big job on, made more difficult by the timing as the weeds could have been mulched over the whole patch during winter, but not now with spears pushing through.

So you need to keep going to remove larger ones and I would use a trowel to remove the most obvious couch. It won’t look perfect… but then spread your older manure (although some weeds, better than fresh), removing all bindweed for sure. The manure will soon create an easier surface for weeding and you will get there but its a year of endeavour first.

[Ferrygirl]

Hi Charles, thank you for your reply, you were up early! Please can i just ask how thick can i put the mulch – how much will the asparagus tolerate? I will do my best with the couch and prepare myself for plenty of weeding this year! Its not a huge bed. Thanks again.x

[charles]

 Now you can see where the crowns are, I would put little mulch on them and 4-6in in spaces between. A little on the asparagus will be fine, it also depends if they are older plants, in which case more vigorous and able to push through mulch.

[Anne Wood]

Dear Charles,

I have just read your very interesting April 2014 news letter. The last item is about asparagus. Do I presume you are mulching an existing bed ( filling gaps with your new seedlings) and if so are you doing it as above ‘ little mulch on the crowns and 4-6in in spaces between.’

Are you saying that the crowns stay at the same level but the roots will raise up into the higher mulch? I have a 5 year old bed half of which has never really done much. I am on the verge of digging the weak ones up and starting again.

The soil is sandy, not very wet but it is flat and not ridged.

Really enjoying all your helpful information.

Anne

[charles]

 Thanks for your comments Anne.
I am unsure of the effect on those roots, probably should not have posted it! but I have more plants so am thinking to plant all them and just see really what happens to the existing survivors. As for your crowns, I would feed them up.  Although asparagus does not like wet feet, it also does not thrive in light soil. More than anything a good mulch of seaweed would help.

[Anne Wood]

Thank you for your reply Charles. I will try the seaweed mulch and give them a good feed.
best regards Anne

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