My asparagus garden seems to be producing less and less each year. How do I enrich and improve it?

?Lyndsey Houghton, Pefferlaw, ON

Lyndsey,
When harvesting, snap off the asparagus at ground level so you don?t damage the growth beneath the soil. Make sure the area has excellent drainage and keep the soil around the plants well-cultivated and weed-free. Add lots of compost. Always leave a few stalks to turn into ferns and shade out weeds. Keep these on all winter to protect the plants and then cut them back when you see new growth in spring. Keep an eye out for marauding asparagus
beetles. Pick them off if you see them, and spray the plants with a teaspoon of soap in a pint of water.

?Marjorie Harris, Editor at Large, Gardening Life