The directions on your package and anywhere reputable you care to look tell you to wait, not harvest this year, lightly next year.

Dan

Asparagus are a long-term perennial and thus warrant the extra care and patience. One guideline I read recently in a Mother Earth News article was if the bushes were shoulder height the previous year, then you can start harvesting the next year, although probably lightly. Another guideline was to stop harvesting when spears had a diameter less than a pencil.

I ordered 2 year old roots from Cook's Garden this year. Their roots were 8 inches long, absolutely beautiful. I will definitely hold off harvesting this year but next year, well, patience is not one of my virtues so maybe a couple.