Harvest Asparagus The Martha Stewart Way With Tips From Her Head Gardener

Martha Stewart's head gardener, Ryan McCallister, is her go-to guy for veggie-growing pointers, composting hacks, and more. He often appears on The Martha Blog, where Stewart shares how he propagates begonias and uses bamboo to grow stronger, healthier tomato plants. McCallister is also active on Instagram, where he shared an asparagus-picking method that keeps the plants happy.

"Asparagus growing always reminds me of zombie fingers coming out of the ground," McCallister quipped in his post, noting that snapping the plant's stalks is the preferred harvesting method at Stewart's farm in upstate New York. To try it, approach a stalk from above and apply firm upward pressure until a piece breaks off. Aim for six to eight-inch-long spears to give the plant adequate growing time and avoid overly fibrous stems. 

If you have a lot of mature asparagus, repeat this process every two to three days during harvest season, a springtime stretch of six to eight weeks. In general, asparagus is ready for this much harvesting once it is five years old. Before this, your harvest window will be a few weeks shorter.

Cutting asparagus stems is another way to get the vegetables from the garden to the dinner table. With this method, a sharp harvesting tool is essential. Using something like these Amazon Basics steel bypass pruning shears or this Martha Stewart hori garden knife will do as long as it's clean and wielded with care. Try to slice the stalks about an inch below ground, which helps the plants retain water.

Whether to snap or cut asparagus is somewhat controversial. The idea behind snapping is that asparagus stalks like to snap at the point where tender flesh merges with fibrous flesh. This leaves the least tasty part of the plant in the ground and brings the most delicious portion to your kitchen, where it can be grilled, roasted, or pickled. It also reduces the risk that you'll injure nearby stalks that aren't ready for prime time. Cutting asparagus can increase its shelf life, but this method may imperil neighboring spears.

Whatever you do, don't yank the stems, which can damage the plants' crowns. If this happens, you may have to replant your asparagus. It can take more than two years to mature if you grow it from seed. In other words, do everything you can to nurture this vegetable. This includes choosing a variety that performs well in your USDA hardiness zone. You can also use companion planting to help your asparagus stay healthy. For example, asparagus is a vegetable that pairs well with strawberries and that thrives alongside basil in the garden.