Ultimately it is going to be your choice since only you can judge the overall health of the bed. Some prefer to harvest all the skinny spears, I don't harvest any of them but prefer to let them fern to feed the crowns for later years.

But if all you get are spindly spears then that is a sure sign of lack of nutrients. Gus is a heavy feeder so did you feed the bed well last fall and again in early spring with a good source of all the nutrients?

Dave

I do the same as Dave and leave most of the thin spears but I have to admit I like to pick a few to snack on while I'm harvesting the larger spears.

My oldest bed (10 years) is sending up mostly thin spears this year as well. I believe I had European Asparagus Aphid damage in this bed last year to at least some of the crowns. Don reported the same symptoms in this thread last July and Dave diagnosed it then. I fear my old bed is on the decline but I am leaving all of the spears this year to hopefully re-vitalize it. Time will tell.

Here is a description of the pest/disease.

European Asparagus Aphid

Small blue to gray-green aphid often covered with a powdery wax. Hard to spot until damage has occurred. Damage is primarily from toxin that is injected into plant during feeding. Causes shortened internodes on subsequent growth resulting in tufted appearance. Heavy populations also leave large amounts of honeydew leading to ant activity. Shortens life of plant and cause delay in bud break in spring followed by profusion of small spears produced simultaneously.

Natural Control

• Bonide® All Seasons® Horticultural & Dormant Spray Oil
• Remove and burn old ferns at end of season.

Thanks Jack. I had forgotten all about that discussion. Hopefully you cleaned the bed out well at end of season.

If that's the case then do like Jack. Feed the bed well, keep it well sprayed for the aphids, and no harvest this year assuming you want to save the bed for the future. Or you can just start a new bed somewhere else and eat what you can get from this one and let it die off.

Dave

Dave - I cleaned out the bed sometime around Thanksgiving and burned the debris. I haven't sprayed anything yet. I don't have any of the recommended Bonide horticultural oil spray on hand but suppose I could find some. I do have neem, Murphy's oil soap, Pyrethrin, and the dreaded sevin. Do you think neem or Murphy's would control them?

I'd use the Murphy's but the Neem should work too. I hope DonV cleaned his bed out well.

Dave

I did not clean it up at all. I am getting lots of tiny spears all at once. gggrrr