Everybody cuts their asparagus spears in the spring and then lets the plants go to fern to replenish their strength. So what do you have in July? A bunch of ferns and no spears to eat. What’s with that? Try this instead. Cut some spears in the spring, but let the rest go to fern. Then in June or July or August, cut ferns, and eat the resulting spears that arise. The plants will do fine. Asparagus all summer. Yum.

Oh, mulch your asparagus bed heavily and don’t plant anything else, such as melons or squash, in there. Asparagus needs no competition from weeds or anything else.

My favorite asparagus recipe is to steam spears (with the tough bottom ends broken off) in an iron skillet with a shallow layer of boiling, salted water until the spears turn emerald green and are just tender, not mushy. Have special friends over when you do this.