While dandelions are beautiful (and edible!), they can hamper your asparagus’ growth

When it comes to weeding asparagus, early and often is best. If you’ve used weed-free soil and well-rotted organic matter, and laid down mulch, you shouldn’t have a big weed problem.

Properly preparing your soil is an excellent preventive measure against the emergence of weeds. When you till or cultivate the area where you’ll plant asparagus, remove weeds, grass, and debris. You’ll likely find that the first few weeks after planting are the only time you’ll be pulling up weeds in your asparagus garden. After planting and initial weeding, place mulch around the plants to further deter weeds.

Once your asparagus plants have started growing, the space in between plants will fill in—and that will smother most weeds. However, asparagus plants need moisture and lots of nutrition to get established, so it’s vital you nip weeds—and grasses—in the bud.

If weeds come up between your more mature asparagus plants during the season, work the soil around the base of the plants with a hand rake or hoe—only deep enough to kill weeds and not damage the plant’s roots.

Do you have problems with weeds in your asparagus garden? How do you handle weeding—and preventing weeds in the first place? Please tell us how you control weeds in your asparagus garden.