The asparagus beetle

The asparagus beetle

Peter Norris
October 7, 2015

It is customary to stop harvesting asparagus for Skt. Hans, after which the shoots are allowed to grow up and with their feathery leaves gather nourishment for the roots as a basis for next year's production. In theory, then. For me, the feathery leaves have every year been obsessed with the asparagus beetle's uncharming gray-brown larvae, which are able to eat it all so that only a withered stick remains. Therefore, I have had to both remove the beetles when I have discovered them, and subsequently go and rub the larvae off in time and out of time.

In the spring, I stumbled upon a note somewhere on the net that parsley planted in the asparagus bed could keep the beetle at bay. Immediately a lot of newly planted parsley was moved to both ends of the bed with asparagus - and for the first time ever, this year I have not seen a single beetle let alone its disgusting fry. Maybe it's the weather, maybe the beetle has had a bad winter holiday - but the asparagus will certainly be garnished with parsley next year.