Hi Folks,

Last year was our third year with the asparagus bed. The first year it was very small, the second we harvested only enough for one meal, one per plant. Last year it behaved very strangely, didn't develop as it normally does, the spears that appeared were very few, and emerged with very thick stalks, I'm talking 3/4" - 1" as they broke the ground. Further, the foliage looked like....imagine lettuce which is allowed to bolt and keep growing.

I'm hoping the weather caused the situation. Last spring it got hot (90) very early for a few days, followed by seasonal cool and cold. Then it started to rain, and stayed wet, didn't plant anything in the garden till almost memorial day!

In preparing the bed, dug very deep worked a lot of composted horse manure in, purchased crowns from a reliable supplier and set out 15. Weeded, side dressed with triple 12, Cut down the stalks and mulched with straw every fall.

Wondering if we have some disease or parasite that moved in and we'll have to start over?

Opinions?

Ev