I have several plants of Purple asparagus that are about 4 years in the ground (started with 1 year old clumps). Each spring, each root clump sends up only 1 or 2 shoots. I know how to grow asparagus (no harvest first year, light harvest second, etc.), but these just will NOT form more than 1 or 2 stems. This year, the stems were huge...big thick shoots, but still only 1-2. My question is: Now that I've got this one huge stalk coming up with leaves on it, will it perhaps "shock" the roots into producing more shoots if I cut it right down below ground now in mid June? I know that Midsummers Day is the end of the harvest season. I've never tried cutting asparagus down after it put on leaves. Will cutting it down kill it? Or should I just be brave and give it a whirl?
My only other option at this point is to dig out the plants, toss 'em, and start over next spring, which I'm hoping not to do unless I have to.
