PUT YOUR PERENNIALS TO BED

Whether your patch is fully mature or you're just starting out, late summer is a crucial time for perennial veg, and making sure you complete a few simple but important jobs now will ensure strong, healthy growth and great harvests on your plot next year

- 

ASPARAGUS

Asparagus beds are a long-term investment, but a little end-of-season care helps ensure fat, juicy spears come spring. Whether your bed is newly planted or decades old, now’s the time to look after the ferns and prepare the soil for winter.

WHAT TO DO NOW

Let ferns feed the crown

Don't cut anything yet! The tall, feathery growth is busy storing energy for next year's spears. Wait until all the foliage has turned yellow or brown - usually by late autumn - before cutting it down to ground level.

Cut back and clear up

Once the fronds have died back fully, cut them cleanly and remove them from the bed. This helps prevent overwintering diseases like rust or fungal infections.

Weed carefully

The shallow crowns can be easily damaged, so hand-weed gently and avoid disturbing the soil. Keeping the bed weed-free through autumn helps reduce competition in spring.

Feed and mulch

Sprinkle a general-purpose organic fertiliser around the plants, then add a thick mulch of compost, leaf mould or well-rotted manure. This insulates the crowns and supports strong regrowth. Avoid covering the growing tips directly.

For young beds

Don’t harvest from new asparagus crowns in their first year — let the plants focus on establishing a strong root system. Still allow ferns to grow and die back naturally, and add mulch to help build soil health.

RHUBARB