It normally emerges around now, but newly-planted crowns can be slower.

And this year even my well established beds are running 7-10 days behind because of all the unusual cool, wet weather..

But if you didn't mulch them then it will all depend on how deep they were planted compared to how deep your ground freezes.

Dave

Here in zone 6a, I was worried about my Asparagus, it seemed late, and we were in the middle of transplanting it, but it has now emerged. Mine was growing in raised beds, and is now sitting in a large recycling container waiting to go back into a new raised bed.

No sign of mine yet, but the rhubarb is coming up nicely. I think it is a little early for the asparagus, but the wild leek hunters are out already *shrug*

I harvested some spears this afternoon. They were about 6 inches tall. It was the first harvest of the year.

Rodney

I think my BIL in Boulder said he wasn't expecting his til late May or early June. They tend to surprise you, though! Nancy

Thanks for the replies. I will be patient and try not to worry. I tried for several years to buy seed of Millenium from Vesey's and finally gave up and ordered plants.

My rhubarb is up and already starting to bolt. It seems really early for that!

I am in the mountains in NM, my elevation being higher than Denver, but my zone is 6. Some of my asparagus plants have been producing for a couple of weeks now, but these are well established and are generally earlier. The roots that I have planted this year have just begun to show signs of coming up.

What I have learned is that asparagus coming up later is somewhat of a blessing with erratic mountain weather. When the soil starts to warm, they come up, and then there is a freeze and it breaks your heart to come out and see the limp, frozen spears that have folded over. It is a ritual right now to go out in the cold wind to harvest spears before an expected freeze. It also takes the guess work out of which ones to cut, just about anything comes in before May 15th because otherwise it will freeze.

Thanks for that info, tishtoshnm. It sounds like I should mulch, if for no other reason than to keep the soil cool.
My family was from Arroyo Hondo. Is that near you?

No, I am in the mountains east of Albq. The mulch can be tricky as it provides nesting for asparagus beetles. I am thinking that next year I will put down straw in February, hoping that will give enough time to kill off any beetle larvae.

I tried straw a few years ago and it came with all manner of weed seeds. I am still trying to eradicate them. I never had these types of weeds before. I've also never heard of asparagus beetles either.

Now, this might not be very well received, but I had a bad batch of asparagus beetles last year after I dumped a good amount of leaves to mulch for the winter.
This year, I raked the leaves away from the bed, sprayed the whole bed with sevin in December, then re-covered them.
I had very few deformed gus this year! Nancy

I'm glad to know in advance about the beetles. I just hope I still have some asparagus to worry about.

Typical emergence in zone 2B is mid to late May, about the same time as the average last frost date, which is 5 to 6 weeks after snow cover disappears. That's in a typical year though. We still have snowbanks lying around!

We don't mulch in Zone 3 - maybe we should but the asparagus seems to emerge when it is ready - We would actually rather it come up a little later as others commented - the early warm break in the weather kicks everything in gear and then Mother Nature reminds us that winter is not over yet - the Asparagus has to shiver in it's boots for a day or two.

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