Asparagus may be an indicator of climate change. This year, Northern Hemisphere growers picked their earliest-ever crops with fresh spears in late winter — though green shoots are generally associated with early spring.
The spears that are harvested and eaten are the tender new shoots that appear like slender green fingers poking out of bare soil.
If left even for a few days, the shoots form tall, woody stems called ferns. By then the spear is no longer edible, so leave it to add nourishment to the clump.
This edible delicacy is native to much of Europe where it’s an important spring green widely sold in vegetable markets and supermarkets. Where asparagus grows wild, it’s a popular plant to forage.
Asparagus was introduced to Australia as a vegetable crop in colonial times but today…
You're reading a preview of
Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, 15.2