Gardening and Horticulture - Established asparagus bed

Happy Memorial day all....

back in our field we have and asparagus bed that has just been growing on its own for over 20 years.....

fresh, free, asparagus is great!!..

Can I do anything to the field during the summer.. it just gets so unweildy..
we have harvested a ton, but plenty still grow to "trees" and go to seed
and the field gets filled with various field grass...

can I mow the field down?? what will happen to the asparagus?
will I get more shoots? or will that be it until next year?

Thanks

Hi exeter_acres

Asparagus is a Fern with shoots we eat only in Spring. I have beds & put 6" of Beefalo Manure on every Winter. As you know Asparagus is tough it can fight the weeds.

Inorder to gain full potentionel from your bed, it must be weeded. Asparagus is a heavy feeder & the weeds are taking their food.

Cutting it over, may make things worse by letting the weeds come back thicker & crowd out the ferns.

Since you want the plants to spread & reseed you can't just mulch it. We weed twice, & by then harvest is over & the ferns grow 5 foot tall, so the weeds stay low.

It's a lot of work but those fresh picked shoots I had for dinner last pm, made it all worth it :) Can't buy it this fresh & sweet.

Good luck with your bed, you have about 20 or more years left, before you must replant LOL.