Drought Can Substitute for Winter Cold in Asparagus

Q. I am trying to figure out when asparagus goes dormant in the desert. I have been doing some research, but I can’t find information about how to handle the dormancy period in the desert. Any ideas?

This is what you hope will happen in the winter to asparagus. In warmer climates it stays green. Turn off the water to force the plant to go dormant.

A. The usual information about asparagus says it turns brown, or goes dormant, as weather gets cold. That’s true in Michigan or Washington state. Sometimes asparagus grown in warm deserts doesn’t turn brown. It might stay green all winter long.

            Wait for the coldest part of the winter, cut it down like it was brown and turn off the irrigation. In about a month, irrigate and fertilize again to push a new crop of spears. For some plants, drought can sometimes substitute for the dormancy of winter cold.

            Not irrigating can “trick” the plant into “thinking” it just got through its dormant period. In the tropics, we let asparagus “dry out” for a month during the dry season and then start up the irrigation again. Cut it back during the coldest month, turn off the water until the soil dries, put manure, compost or fertilizer on top of the soil and then start watering again.