Precisely!
Come late November they get cut back to the earth but they do form an interesting block of green until the frost turns them yellow. This was our only reliable helper, Neri, who returned to Guatemala the week after this photo was taken. After cutting them back (for the chipper, then for compost), each asparagus plant was covered with our own compost and paths were freshened with wood chips.
Now Jack and I get to have the fun of doing it all by ourselves - two days of cutting, compost, path work...but it's worth it.
