Asparagus Patch? WEEDS!!

[2468Gardeningisgr8]

Good Morning Everyone.....Just wanted to know what you all do with your asparagus patches once they have "ferned out'.....We have a mature patch(previous owners) that has been over come with weeds....Bineweed !!!! AHHHH!!! Everytime I walk by the patch it seems the weeds are waving at me...
When can I cut down the ferns ? to get at the weeds?
When can I add compsot? and can a mulch be placed on an asparagus patch ? thanks

 

[Rosalind]

Is hand-pulling even a possibility? AFAIK, bindweed will multiply if you do something like cut it with a weed whacker.

I would hand-pull as much as possible, then hand-pull again, and again...Whatever you do, don't let it go to seed. You see a flower, even if you can't pull it, pick the flower off at least.

Don't worry about accidentally yanking out the ferny growth at this point. Just control the bindweed as much as possible.

I mulch my asparagus with chicken litter, leaves and compost. This does not control weeds 100%, but it's not atrocious either.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

If your "ferns" are still green I would be careful about yanking any of them if it were me. Remember this is the time that the plant is feeding itself and replenishing from all the picking that has been done. I help support mine with a post at ech end and a string through the middle. Probably wouldn't be a bad thing to trim a couple branches if you get into them while you were weeding. Are they even in rows are just wild spread?