Harvesting Asparagus

This is my 3rd year on some of my asparagus plants an they are really starting to shoot up. This is my first time harvesting so tell me if I need to leave some to continue to grow into the fern part on each plant or do I harvest as they are ready? Any info you have I need to know or take caution on so I don't screw up. So far I have enough from 2 days for DH an I to have as a veggie for supper. Not a lot, but I can't wait to roast them with some garlic an EVOO. I harvested 6 spears this morning, then this afternoon right b4 dark I noticed 6 more that had grown just that quick. I'm cutting them when they are about 6" long there about. A few days ago I harvested just a few an mixed them in with some other veggies to some pasta, yumm it was so good. Thanks in advance, T

Song the way I looked at growing it was if I was somewhat successful enough at it then I was gonna be happy, no more buying it at the high prices in the store. If I wasn't then so what I at least tried. When I can grow it an not buy it then thats a plus an I know where it came from an who has handled it. Besides Asparagus is suppose to live a very long time, so whats 3 yrs to 25 or more?

Anyway, my thinking when I was trying to figure out how to grow it here I leaned more to the cold chill hours for the root system than our aweful heat. Years earlier I made a half hearted attempt to grow some in the ground with no success an didn't mess with it for a long time til 3 yrs ago.

I am a zone pusher for sure an knowing that asparagus grew "wild" up north told me to think "Chill Hours". So I felt I needed to raise those roots up off the ground some. I was lucky enough to find old dryer drums (no bottoms) an I also cut out the inter rim part of old tires an stacked them 2 high. An b4 anyone scolds me about the old tires, I'm not concerned about leaching. I feel I chose old enough ones.

I then filled them half way with compost an old pine bark mulch (as a filler) then the rest of the way with potting soil/compost mixture. When I planted them I purposely left about 1/4" of the crown part the roots exposed there first year (remember chill time) This was spring/summer an they were to young/small to get overheated IMO. Hope that makes some sense.

Come fall I followed other forum friends advise an added compost to them for the winter. After the first growing season I didn't remove the soil from the root crowns cause they seemed to be growing fine. I followed the routine of adding the compost/manure every fall an try to keep the weeds out.

Just this year I planted some Jersey Giants into one of the veggie beds just to see how they will do being in the ground once again. They are growing fine right now so time will tell.

By thinking out side of the box so to speak I have successfully grown other plants way down here this way. Like Peonies (4yrs), Soloman's Seal(3 yrs), Bears Breeches(1 yr), Clematis (3 yrs) an Lilac (2nd yr, hasn't bloomed yet). And in most cases I try to place them where they get morning sun/evening shade. Our heat an humidity is brutal in the summer.