Lost Asparagus Crop

I have an established asparagus bed and this year have been away for 6 weeks, I returned to discover all my spears have turned to fern. If I cut down the fern will it generate a new crop. I noticed last autumn when I cut down the ferns new spears appeared but I do not want to harm the plants. Help!! A year with no asparagus will not be a happy one for my husband. Thanks

 

If I turn my back for a moment, let alone 6 weeks, I get ferns!! ... don't know the answer though as this is only my second cropping year.

 

If it's a well-established bed, heather, you should be OK chopping the ferns to stimulate more spears. It's relatively early in the cropping season (given the late spring) and as long as you let them fern up and die off naturally in the autumn, they should be fine next year.