Does anyone know if deer will eat asparagus? My old asparagus bed is inside the area I fence for my garden, but I just put in a much bigger bed outside the fence. I'll fence it if I have to, but the deer never seemed to get into the old bed during the time it wasn't fenced, so I was thinking maybe they don't go for asparagus. I know they'll eat just about anything if they get hungry enough, but is asparagus one of their less-favored menu items?
If you'd asked that question two years ago, I would have said that deer never bother asparagus. I've had a salt block in a stump for 35 years, and never had any damage to the asparagus bed less than 50 ft away.
Now, two years ago, I watched deer eat some salt, move to the asparagus, and start at the top of a 3-4 ft stalk and chow it down like it was a carrot. Strange, but after a week, they quit. Last year I don't recall losing any, and its too early to tell this year.
But for the most part, I don't think you should need to worry. I could be dead wrong tho.
About a third of the plants I put in a couple weeks ago have put up ferns, and so far the deer are leaving them alone. I'll watch and see for now. I hate having to fence in anything I don't want eaten.
Pretty good asparagus season so far for the old bed. A warm spring is producing lots of spears.
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