Some of my Asparagus stalks come up about 2 or 3 inches, then they either lean over sideways or curl over like a shepherds crook. Then they are neve...
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Asparagus stalks curling #626940
Asked April 23, 2020, 3:06 PM EDT
Some of my Asparagus stalks come up about 2 or 3 inches, then they either lean over sideways or curl over like a shepherds crook. Then they are never healthy and die off or get soft. What can I do to help this? Not all stocks do this. I do not remember what varieties I planted - it is mixed thick and thin stalks so 2 different kinds. Sorry no photos Thank you! Ann
Weld CountyColorado
Expert Response
I wonder if the J-shaped asparagus spears you
are seeing in your garden are due to damage by the common asparagus beetle, Crioceris asparagi
(1.) Hand pick
the beetles off the asparagus “berries” and drop the critters into a bucket of
soapy water.
(2.) Also make
the beetles unwelcome by cleaning up your garden. Removal of plant residue in and around the asparagus
decreases the chance for adult beetles to survive through the winter. Don't
leave places for them to hide.
I did begin a new thread, but forgot I could respond to this question so will put it both places. Our asparagus are still leaning and curling, but we are also having trouble with our asparagus being eaten by something. They seem to do the damage at night. They chew mostly on the tender head of the asparagus, but have chewed some on the sides of the stalks. When we were watering the asparagus, these worm type things came out of the dirt. They seem to have little feelers on their heads and have a stripe on the back of them and are approx an inch long. How do we control/kill them without making our garden non organic? Thank you for a prompt answer - we are losing our asparagus! Thank you! Ann
Hi, this is Steve and I’m on duty
this week for Ask An Expert. It appears from the very good picture you sent
that there are one of the cutworm species in your soil. If you look at page 7
on this material linked, you’ll see the cutworm can cause the damage (including
a crook) to the asparagus. https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/disease_and_insect_pests_of_asparagus_(e3219).pdf
I would advise going to a larger
garden supply/nursery and asking what Bt products they have for this insect in
the garden. It would need to be a product for soil application and for food
production.
While we’re here, you might refer
back to the Disease and Insect Pests link p.4, Phytophthora Rot can also cause
some of the issues you described in the first email. And finally, as odd as it
seems, wind blowing across the spears can cause them to crook, so blocking wind
from the bed can aid.
Hopefully, controlling the cutworms
will solve all the issues. Once you choose a control method, I would use it in
a wide area of the area around your bed. Best of luck.
Good morning, this is Steve and I need to clarify a statement I made earlier. The Bt would need to be sprayed directly on the asparagus and not applied to the soil. It works when ingested by the cutworm. Generally, there is only a one day wait between applying the Bt and eating the asparagus, however, read and follow all the label directions to confirm that is the case.Sorry for the confusion.
The info on the asparagus really helped us! Thank you! Now we having millions of grasshoppers all over everything and already doing damage. They are about 1/4 inch long and more of them than we can count. How do we control them in our organic garden? Every year they have devastated our vegegetable and flower garden and are plague like - keeping them out of the house and car is a challenge. They have killed trees and we need a solution to kill or control them without using Seven. Thank you! Ann
Grasshoppers can be devastating. It can also take a little time. I understand that you don’t want to use Sevin, and prefer a natural control.
I am attaching an article about grasshoppers, their habitats, natural controls, and baits (NOLO) which may be interesting for you. It also contains info about sprays which you can ignore if you don’t want to go that route.
Thank you for the info on the grasshoppers. We are having a plague of them now. Literally billions that are eating everything in sight! When you walk it is just crazy there are so many of them. My question is why do we have them so bad and the organic farm that is up the road less than 10 miles has none to speak of? Why do we have them so bad every year and other around us do not? Is there something that we can do to stop the life cycle before they are hatched? There are so many that they are impossible to control after they are hatched. We have had this fight for about 5/6 years. We have lived on this property for about 18 years and the first years we really had none. But they moved in and we fight them every year while others around us do not. Please help with some concrete advice on how to stop this crazy cycle and get them early before hatching! We are trying to use natural stuff on the veggie garden but have sprayed some sevin on other areas of the yard but hate to. There has to be something to interrupt this cycle!! If you personally (that is the one answering this question) do not know what to do - would you please research and ask someone that specializes in this problem for us?? We are at our wits end to know what to do! Thank you!
So I do not repeat myself, would you please tell us what all you have been doing so far? That way I won't give you more information about something you have already tried. If you supply that information, perhaps the Extension expert who wrote the above information sheet can give you specific information geared toward the problem you are experiencing.
So I do not repeat myself, would you please tell us what all you have been doing so far? That way I won't give you more information about something you have already tried. If you supply that information, perhaps the Extension expert who wrote the above information sheet can give you specific information geared toward the problem you are experiencing.
Hi Sue, thank you for the quick response. We have used diatamaceous earth, hot pepper spray, garlic spray, a neem and pyrthrin spray and BT (not all at the same time) on the vegetable garden with only minor results. We know those do not kill grasshoppers - but then we don't want to die from eating anything poisonous either. :) This year, the cucumbers, sweet potatoes and green beans have been totally decimated while other things either are not so bothered by the grasshoppers - like tomatoes, squash and carrots or other things are full of holes but staying alive. We have sprayed sevin all over the back yard and flowers that they were killing but there are billions more to replenish the number. We sprayed up to the fence of the vegetable garden. They are less slightly in the garden this morning from spraying the sevin yesterday but all the yard is covered and I expect the veg garden will be again very soon. They are mostly 1/2 inch, then another half are more like an inch a with a few 1 1/2 inches long. All colors and kinds. But they are growing rapidly! We began this cycle about 5/7 years ago. We moved here to rural Weld county about 18 years ago and had no grasshoppers for years. Then the first year we had so many they stripped all the leaves off the deciduous trees and even the evergreens were severely damaged. They ate everything in site. Even the paint on the walls. No garden to be had. Each year is slightly different - some are a little more tolerable but we still fight them. But the last 2 years have gotten much worse and we just can hardly grow things. They are in our car and in our house. We are so frustrated fighting them. I would love to have you refer this to someone that specializes in grasshoppers and why we have them and the organic vegetable farm up the road has none?? And why we keep having them every year when others do not? We have spent a lot of money on multiple doses of nolo bait spread far out in the pasture to draw them away in past years - but it really did nothing. We just have too many! We really want to know - not only how to control them now - but if there is something to break this cycle? What can we do to kill them before we have them hatch out? Once they do hatch they are uncontrollable. Is there something to put in the ground at some time during the year that will interrupt this cycle and stop this plague? We really seek help and advice ! Thank you! Ann Huppert
Wow! It sounds like you've tried just about everything that is recommended to rid yourself of the grasshopper plague. Thanks for letting us know what you have done.
Just now, I sent your information on to Extension entomologists. These folks not only have academic backgrounds, but have experience working with gardens, and are gardeners themselves. We will get back to you just as soon as possible, Ms. Huppert.
We are trying to be patient to receive an answer about this grasshopper plague, but we have not heard anything back. They are destroying everything in sight and are getting bigger and bigger. We are hoping the bug experts you referred to will send a reply so we know what to do to save our plants and trees.Thank you
