Asparagus - Ask Extension
In the fall when my asparagus have the red bearies which I believe are seed pods Should I cut those Spears completely out of the asparagus patch or ju...
Knowledgebase
Asparagus #934416
Asked June 06, 2026, 10:03 AM EDT
In the fall when my asparagus have the red bearies which I believe are seed pods Should I cut those Spears completely out of the asparagus patch or just pick the berries? My patch is around 20 years old. How do I know when I shouls start a new bed?
Thank You,
Mark Abraham
Wright County Minnesota
Expert Response
Only female asparagus plants produce berries. Although female plants produce larger stems, male plants produce larger numbers of uniform stems.
It's ok to grow and harvest male and female stems and disregard the berries. However, when asparagus self seeds, the stems may be inferior, so removing the berries and/or female plants may be warranted.
It might be a good time to start a new asparagus bed if it's infested with weeds, production has diminished, spears are thin, or disease and insect damage is difficult to manage.
Learn more here:
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-asparagus
It's ok to grow and harvest male and female stems and disregard the berries. However, when asparagus self seeds, the stems may be inferior, so removing the berries and/or female plants may be warranted.
It might be a good time to start a new asparagus bed if it's infested with weeds, production has diminished, spears are thin, or disease and insect damage is difficult to manage.
Learn more here:
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-asparagus
