Asparagus Angst!

So, I thought we had managed quite well last month in removing all the Asparagus Beetles from our asparagus plants and I was feeling quite pleased with myself. That is until we went away for a few days and came back to carnage!

It was immediately apparent that, although we may have removed the beetles, it was not before they had laid their eggs, which we had also missed. There are two types of Asparagus Beetle: these little lovelies belong to the Common Asparagus Beetle which is the more destructive of the two. Pictured here feasting on some remaining foliage (click on image to enlarge), a few of the other plants had already been stripped bare.

Needless to say, they were removed with some haste - not a pleasant task, but an important one. Significant defoliation at this point of the summer can weaken the plants and may also limit the amount of nutrients they can take in for the next growing season, causing fewer and less vigorous spears.

Note to self: be more observant and alert to this threat from May next year!

Submitted by Jane, plot 9