What happens if you harvest asparagus too early?
Written by
Paul Reynolds
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.Harvesting asparagus prematurely can permanently harm young plants. Cutting into the spear of a first-year plant uses up the necessary energy reserves that are stored in the crown. Those energy reserves are utilized for the growth of the root and future shoots. Harvesting too early weakens the plants before they have a chance to establish fully. The damage done in one season can affect potential production for decades.
Root System Impact
- Energy diverted from root growth to spear regeneration
- Shallow root systems develop unable to access deep water
- Reduced nutrient absorption capacity limits future yields
- Plants become vulnerable to drought stress and wind damage
Yield Reduction Factors
- First-year harvest reduces total lifetime yield by 30-50%
- Spear diameter decreases significantly in subsequent years
- Harvest season shortens by several weeks annually
- Plants produce fewer spears per crown over time
Plant Survival Risks
- Crowns harvested early have 40% higher mortality rate
- Weakened plants succumb to fungal diseases more easily
- Winter survival decreases without adequate energy reserves
- Recovery takes 2-3 years of no harvesting
The depletion of energy reserves is the primary issue with early harvesting. Crowns are a productive carbohydrate storage during fern growth. These reserves fuel the spears for the following year. When spears are cut, these energy factories are removed. The plants must expend energy rebuilding their reserves instead of growing roots, and this becomes a repeated process that continues to weaken them.
Recovery strategies restore strength in injured plants. If the spears are cut prematurely, stop cutting them. Allow all the remaining spears to develop into full ferns. For the recovery week, you can apply a balanced fertilizer every month. Water constantly, but not to the point of saturation. Recovery can take two full seasons of growth to recover from the damage that occurred.
Proper harvest indicators will prevent you from cutting prematurely. Wait for spears that are growing 6-8 inches tall. Choose only spears that are thicker than a pencil. Cut off cleanly at soil level with a sharp knife. Do not continue harvesting when the spear diameter has decreased significantly. This will protect the health of the crown.
Long-term success hinges on strict discipline in the first year. Do not cultivate any spears in year one. Rather, you are developing plant vigor. Your patience will yield 30 years of plentiful harvests, starting in year three, when your investment in asparagus will pay off the most.
Read the full article: How to Grow Asparagus from Crowns Successfully
