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The Lazy Way to Cut Back Asparagus Plants

April 6, 2010

Burn ’em right in place…

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not actually endorsing this method. I’m simply stating that it is a very good way to rid yourself of a very massive amount of dead asparagus tops in short order.

No cutting.

No grunting

No hauling.

Perfect for me. You might want to read last year’s post on this garden chore. [Which I pretty much hate.] Why didn’t I think of this sooner? It’s like cutting out the middle man!

Also very dangerous and unpredictable.

But very effective. Provided I haven’t killed the plants. Guess I’ll have to wait and see on that one…

Assuming they turn out fine, I think I will add it to my annual repertoire. Just don’t tell Dave. He was quite upset with me.

Notes for next year’s burning:
  1. Have hose hooked up and water ready.
  2. Burn in the still air of morning. (*bonus is that neighbors and husband are also absent at this time.)
  3. Stomp down combustible tops more thoroughly so that burning is more even and reaches the fat, soggy, hard-to-cut bottoms.
  4. Have a wider angle lens on camera to allow for larger field of view in case grass starts on fire again.
  5. Bring marshmallows.

Filed Under: Garden Tagged With: spring clean up, cut back, lazy, asparagus, gardening, burn

Spring Garden Clean-Up: The Battle Begins

April 11, 2009

Since this is my first official garden entry, I would like to make one thing clear: I am no feel-good gardener. I am a realist. I admit having evolved to my present mind-set, but I have evolved out of the need to survive, just like any other species.

Asparagus Patch in Mid Clean-Up
Asparagus Patch in Mid Clean-Up

My gardening endeavors are a battle against the odds: Against nature. Against varmits. Against weeds. Against the dogs. Against my chickens. Against wild turkeys. Against insects. You get the point. But let me illustrate it quickly with one short story.

No day in the garden is complete without Buzz, eagerly waiting for a rock to be throw, that he may fetch it.
No day in the garden is complete without Buzz, eagerly waiting for a rock to be thrown, that he may fetch it.
The Guardian of my Asparagus Patch
The Guardian of my Asparagus Patch

When I first started my garden, back in the days of my naiveté, one of the first things I planted was asparagus – that vegetable of promise and patience. I did everything right. I read every book. I couldn’t wait. And when that first spear peeked out of the lovingly tended dirt, I was so excited! Then, within three days of the first spear’s emergence, there was a beetle crawling on it. Of course I had no idea what type of beetle it was at the time, but I quickly learned: it was a bona fide Asparagus Beetle! What you have no way of knowing is why that seemed impossible to me at the time. We live on 45 acres of land that had not been inhabited for over 20 years when we built our home here 15 years ago. We live at least 1/2 mile from any other home. We are surrounded by marsh, woods and farm land (no, none of it growing anything even close to asparagus). And yet, somehow, an asparagus beetle had found it’s way to my newborn patch of asparagus. This was foreshadowing, of my future gardening drama, at its finest.

And today, I continue the fight, with eyes wide open. Yesterday marked our first truly beautiful Minnesota day (which I define as one with winds less than 50mph), and I took the first step of the dreaded gardening season: cleaning the asparagus patch. The only difference that marks this year from any other, is that I somehow managed to do it before the emergence of the first spear, allowing me to walk around without crushing the priceless stalks of early spring. No, I am not stupid enough to believe that I am turning over a new leaf. I was just lucky.

And despite my yearning for that first meal of freshly grown asparagus, I know that within 2 weeks of daily meals, I will be giving it away by the rounded armload to anyone who happens to drive down our long and dusty driveway. That, my friend, is one of the harsh realities of gardening. There is no such thing as moderation.

Burn Baby Burn. (No room in compost for dead tops)
Burn Baby Burn. (No room in compost for dead tops)

Filed Under: Garden Tagged With: garden, asparagus, clean up, spring, burn

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About Me

Jen menke

I’m a mostly-retired, pretend graphics and web developer (but don’t judge my skillz by THIS site!). We sold our dream home in Watertown, MN and downsized to a “Villa” in Excelsior, MN and built a home in our dream location of Eagle, CO and now split our time between the two states. It is truly a dichotomous life of absentee gardening and getting together with friends & family while in MN and playing hard and hermitting while in CO. I’ve let the blog go but a trip to Alaska has me resurrecting the Road Warriors series. My beloved brother is my biggest fan and I am doing this just for him.

Latest Reads:

Jennie's bookshelf: read

Trail of Broken Wings
2 of 5 stars
Trail of Broken Wings
by Sejal Badani
Started out strong and dwindled off for me. I wasn't enamored of the writing and -- maybe it's just me -- but the secrets!? I understand that you have to be willing to swallow a fair amount of incredulity when enjoying a lot of fiction, ...
The Girl on the Train
3 of 5 stars
The Girl on the Train
by Paula Hawkins
Audible book. Good, mindless listen. Pretty good action and twists. Not as good as all the hype, in my opinion, but I did enjoy. --Not enough to choose for my bookclub though: it would have been carved up by those English-teaching wolves...
I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America after Twenty Years Away
4 of 5 stars
I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America after Twenty Years Away
by Bill Bryson
Not my favorite Bryson book. However, it's been several years since I last read one and I was -- once again -- astounded by his writing style and voice. I just love him. I think this book is mostly compiled from columns he wrote over a c...

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