Pruning Asparagus Plants

Pruning is an important part of proper edible plant care, and in the case of asparagus, it’s particularly easy to do. Asparagus foliage that forms after harvest is strengthening the crown and root system for next year’s crop, so you’ll want to prune in late fall or early winter.

NOTE: This is part 8 in a series of 11 articles. For a complete background on how to grow asparagus plants, we recommend starting from the beginning.

Pruning Tips

  • Wait until all the foliage has died back and turned brown or yellow. This normally happens after the first frost.
  • Cut the plants back to the soil surface and apply mulch to help against deep freeze or changes in soil temperatures. (Mulching also helps with weed control.)
  • If you have issues with disease or insects, it’s best to cut the tops off of your asparagus. You should not need to remove the entire fern.
  • Before the new spears appear in spring, remove the old tops.

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