Asparagus

 This is the first year we can really cut from the asparagus patch we planted 3 years ago. Year 1 you have to just let them grow. Year 2 you can cut for about 2 weeks and then just let them grow and become better established.  Year 3 you can cut as much as you wish for the 6-week sprouting time in the spring.  So here we are at year 3 all excited about spring after a hellacious winter.   We kept checking on the asparagus to see when they would emerge. They usually spring forth about the same time as the rhubarb but this year they were VERY slow to start sprouting and Pat was convinced they were killed by the sub zero cold.  I was more optimistic as I saw a few shoots start to emerge here and there.  Then one day we went to cut the few sprouts that were in need of cutting and we saw a vole hill running thru the patch.  Dang voles were eating the roots of the asparagus!!!! We were so mad but what are you supposed to do.  We are letting the roots that don’t get eaten grow as they can this year but have plans to rebuild and reinforce that bed.  That is the first bed we established when we bought the property 5 years ago and because we don’t use pressure treated wood on our food beds they have a life expectancy of about 5 years.  So we are going to relocate the asparagus into a new bed that has strong wire in the bottom so the voles can’t get up from below.   We will then rebuild this old bed and plant more blackberries or raspberries.  That will make all the fruits on that side of the driveway and nothing will need to be fenced in to deter bunnies. The picture above is of our 3rd meal this year.

Dang vole hole.  This one entered from above.  Makes me sort of wonder if this hole is a bunny nest like we saw last year in the raspberries.

 

Picture of the bed after I weeded it and cleaned it all up this morning.  You can see how the boards are stating to deteriorate.  You can also see how few and far between the plants are.  PITIFUL.