Recently, I harvested my first spears from the asparagus plants I started two years ago from seed. My gardening bible, Steve Solomon’s Gardening When It Counts, says you can harvest all spears at least 3/8 of an inch in diameter without harming the plant’s future production. That’s what I’ve been doing, and so far I’ve harvested 8 stalks, or about 4 oz. It’s not a lot, but I honestly wasn’t expecting a harvest in just two years from seed, so this feels like a bonus! I’m quite glad to get my first taste of this variety, an heirloom called Mary Washington. It’s wonderfully tender (no point cooking these!), and the lower part of the stalk even has some sweetness. The Great Asparagus Experiment is beginning to pay off!
For information on how I started my plants from seed, see my previous asparagus posts, listed below. By the way, the plants that have done the best and are now producing a harvest are the ones I started indoors in pots, not the ones I sowed directly in the garden.
gettin' fresh! 
Congratters ! – bloody well done ! I understand this is not the easiest vegetable in the world to produce, so you should be absolutely chuffed. Now for the really yummy bit … 😀
Thanks! 🙂
Congratulations. We’re eating the first of ours every other night now. I’m going to attempt guacamole soon!
Guacamole? Are you talking about avacados rather than asparagus?
Nope – guacamole using steamed asparagus put through food processor. Same ingredients otherwise. I thought the same thing when my friend told me about it. I thought she was getting her “A” veges mixed up!
Well, how cool! When I get some more, I’ll have to give it a try!