Aspaaragus beetle - help!

[BB48]

Hello All

I have discovered asparagus beetle and have been told that I should chop the ferns down. There a lot of the little blighters - much more than I can squish!
If I chop them down will it do more harm than the beetles will do? How much harm will they do anyway. This is my second year and really dont want to loose them now when I am so close to having a crop from them next year.

BB

[Capsid]

I sprayed mine with a bug killer. I don't see other options if you want to eat asparagus next year. It's important to keep the ferns as they nourish the roots to produce bigger plants and more shoots.

[Jeanied]

You have to cut the dead ferns back in autumn, and take them away as the beetle overwinter there somewhere (can't for the life of me see where though).
To control the beetles, shake the ferns over a piece of cardboard, the beetles drop onto the card and you can stomp on them. I control the grubs by squishing.
The only other tip I have is to feed the roots while the plants are putting up with all this insect attack.

[BB48]

thanksvery much. I'm just off to lottie now and think I have both bug spray and cardborad so will bug spray first and then the cardboard. I like that tip as the little blighters know youre after them and try to dodge you!

its amazing where they come from, as I am the only asparagus grower on the plot and didnt get any last year I thought they might be safe.
What do you feed them with - growmore?

[Speed Gardener]

A while ago on GQT Bob Flowerdew said that when cutting the ferns down in the autumn, leave about 9 inches of stalk, this is where the beetles will over winter and the whole lot can be removed in the spring, hopefully taking the beetles with it.
I get these pests and this year found that by the time they arrived, I had nearly finished cropping, so not too much impact. Not sure how mich impact the beetles have after that as I don't look too closely if I'm not harvesting them. I cup my hands round the stem and shake the beetles into my hands for crushing. As previously mentioned, feeding the plants might help.

[Jeanied]

BB48 on the subject of feed - I use well rotted horse manure which I have had piled up in a compost bin since last year - you really need something that will feed and top dress the crowns at the same time. Growmore is a bit too inorganic for my style of gardening - but anything is better than nothing for asparagus! If I don't have horse manure I use ordinary compost from the compost bin and added chicken poo pellets.

[BB48]

I planned to cover the bed with manure/compost once I had cut the ferns down in the autumn. Have no manure at the moment so will it be OK to add compost now and then manure later after cutting the ferns?

[rogesse]

It must be the year of the asparagus beetle - Never had them before but infested this year!

A quick google revealed that they have two generations between May and September so even though I nuked them, a few crafty beggers may have escaped....................

[Comfreyfan]

First year I haven't seen any asparagus beetle at all - they've obviously all gone 'up country' for their staycations this year!

I think the ferns really need to stay on for a while yet. There'd be no chance of seeing them now on mine, the ferns are as thick as a forest and well over 5' tall, I've had to restrain them so I can get down the path to the spuds.

I realise it's not possible for everyone, but a friend top dresses hers with seaweed every year - has amazing asparagus.