Have you checked the pH? Asparagus likes lime. Everything you’re doing sounds good…so it might be the pH (you can get an inexpensive kit at a nursery). Digging out the roots would be a lot more work than you might think; roots could be 4 to 6 feet or more!
Then there is this (a few questions below yours): you might want to fertilize: Scatter 2 pounds of 10-20-10 fertilizer (or its equivalent) per 20 feet of row before growth begins in the spring. After the last harvest, apply an additional 1 to 2 pounds of 21-0-0 (high in nitrogen) per 20 feet. Always water the fertilizer into the soil.
Some people would love to get pencil-thin spears!
Have you checked the pH? Asparagus likes lime. Everything you’re doing sounds good…so it might be the pH (you can get an inexpensive kit at a nursery). Digging out the roots would be a lot more work than you might think; roots could be 4 to 6 feet or more!
Then there is this (a few questions below yours): you might want to fertilize: Scatter 2 pounds of 10-20-10 fertilizer (or its equivalent) per 20 feet of row before growth begins in the spring. After the last harvest, apply an additional 1 to 2 pounds of 21-0-0 (high in nitrogen) per 20 feet. Always water the fertilizer into the soil.
With this, your plot should come back to life.