The soil is going to have to be a tad warmer! But I usually start to see a few by the third week of April, and I'm in Columbia County. (My asparagus bed is in fairly sandy loam, which warms up faster. I routinely have asparagus earlier than my sister in Kenosha county, where hers is in low, moist soil.)

Becky

AHA! Spotted the first buds on Saturday. This is exciting. My beds are raised and really do warm up nicely in spring.

Me too!!!

Hurray--finally found one peeking today! (actually found another one that was up before the big snow, apparently...poor frozen little thing!)

Finished clearing off the bed today. All the better to see them!

I walked around today and was inspired by the thread title to look for asparagus coming up. Didn't find any, what is wrong with my asparagus? Of course mine is not in raised beds, and not in 100% sun, either. Heck, my crocuses are still blooming, everything is so late this year because of all the snow we had piled up for so long.

Cranberry, are you in the north or south part of Racine County? I am in the northern side, one mile west of I-94. I have a lot of raised beds, too, but no asparagus in them. My best rhubarb is in raised beds, though, it is up but not very big yet. My garlic there is doing well. Thank goodness for perennial food plants, as I haven't started growing any annuals yet this year.

Marcia

I'm in west Racine. On sunday I noticed 1 or 2 asparagus shoots just peeking thru in my bed. My bed is not raised and part of it doesn't get enough sun. This is the 3rd year for this bed. (Jersey all male type.) And I am hoping to get something out of it this year.

It will be a few weeks yet before I will see any come thru in the shadier area of my bed.

Jim

Well hello neighbors in the city and county of Racine!

I'm west of Sturtevant, just east of the "I". Our neighbor grows 3000 asparagus plants on a plot of our land. We don't charge rent, just get to pick all the asparagus we want! Last year our neighbor had harvested three times by now. Just too cold this year. The spears should be coming up soon though.

Julie

yep in zone 5 IL- 1 inch but frost damaged on some.

Asparagus on toast- can't wait!
Karen

Asparagus is up about 3-4" now.

Karen, Asparagus on toast, how do you fix it - creamed?

I like to stir fry mine.

Our neighbor makes pickled asparagus and sells it in quart jars for $10. Our neighbor also eats it raw right out of the garden!

How do you all like your asparagus!

Julie

Sorry, haven't checked in for awhile. I'm just east of Union Grove on Hwy C. My spears slowed down a bit when we got the snow, but they're getting back on track for sure. My rhubarb is CRAZY (also in raised bed). I need to harvest.

I've been too busy picking asparagus and rhubarb to read garden-web! Hehe! Seriously, I picked 3# before I went to work this morning, and another 3# tonight. Amazing what a little rain and heat do. (and warm nights really make a difference.)

Becky

Anyone have tips out there for growing asparagus? I inherited a bed when I bought my house - lucky me! I have spears coming up and snapped 2 this evening. Should I fertilize in the fall, do you put mulch down??? I've been reading a bit but still have so many questions.

Thanks!

Asparagus is considered a heavy feeder, so put down fertilizer now when it can use it. It also likes plenty of water if we get a dry spell. I like to try to keep my bed weed-free, because weeds and grass take nutrients away that could be feeding the asparagus, depending on what you inherited, that may be too difficult to achieve. I do mulch after the soil is warmed up(i.e. after the asparagus is growing pretty good) to help keep the weeds down.

Becky

Do a search on this site"asparagus" & find a tip for old beds.
Add Sodium Chloride Rock salt(NaCI) pickling salt, apply 2.5 lbs per 100 feet of row. On beds 2 or more years old.
Mulch with shredded leaves 6" deep or deeper.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to asparagus

Be careful about salting an asparagus bed. That was an old-time weed control method. While asparagus is salt tolerant, it certainly does not benefit the plant. Regular fertilizing and mulching to keep down weeds is a better practice and will yeild much more vigorous plants.

It's so funny to see this pop back up in the threads 4 years later! My bed is still not cleared of last year's growth. Slow melting snow drifts slowed things down a bit this year.

I'm hoping I can bump this and get some more up to date info. Has anyone started seeing their asparagus yet? Mine have not made an appearance and I don't know if I should be worried.

I just looked back at my journals. I didn't see asparagus coming up until 4/22 in 2009 and 4/9 in 2010. Nothing yet this year. I'm in western Racine county and my asparagus is in a raised bed. It's flippin' freezing out there.
Rhubarb is getting ready to pop, though.

I'm in Madison, zone 5. No signs of asparagus here.

Despite the odd weather, I have 4 spears (2 plants) coming up. That area had a bit more leaf debris from fall to provide insulation. My third plant shows no signs yet.

Bingo! I spotted 2 spears coming up today. Looks like we're in business.

I'm in Green Bay and have just a few very thin (spaghetti size) spears, about 5 inches now. One plant looks like it is sending up 3 good sized spears, but that is only about 1 inch up. Anyone else in my area getting asparagus yet?

We live between Green Bay & Appleton & bought a house last fall with an old garden full of asparagus, raspberries & rhubarb. We've never grown asparagus before but its so established we didn't even have to try! We had asparagus once already last week & have at least 20 spears which should be cut! Very exciting!