Asparagus

[goodlife]

Saddad..will you try some rhubarb leaf mulch to see if that has any effect?..I'm trying to trial rhubarb leaves against different pest but I'm glad to say (touching wood) that I'm 'lacking' pest here to trial with.. ::)
It would be interesting to see if rhubarb would have any effect.

[goodlife]

[saddad]

Well I have no shortage of leaves... just pests now, touchwood!  :)

[artichoke]

Does cutting close to the crown damage it?

My plot was visited by a Frenchman who watched in horror for a few seconds as I cut spears level with the earth, grabbed the knife from me, and burrowed right down to the crown and cut everything off there.

We had no more asparagus for a week after he had gone because he had removed all the growing shoots, not just the emerging ones.....he was a guest, so I could not just stab him instantly with the knife and put an end to the agony of watching the pillaging of my precious plants.

I had carefully explained that I knew there were differences in the way English and French cut their asparagus and I would use the English way - but he was clearly too shocked to pay attention. He said he had been cutting asparagus since he was 5 years old on his father's farm, and there was only one way to do it....

The point is, the crowns were not damaged and the bed was soon back in full production.

[small]

Saddad, I had my first ever beetles this year, 10 days ago, cut everything right to the ground (sob sob, couldn't eat any cos they had all these disgusting larvae poking out) and a week later I had enough to eat again, still finding the odd beetle though, checking twice a day - I'm going to take one more cut at the weekend and then leave them, I've been cropping since March and I think that's enough. I'm going to try rhubarb mulch, I don't see that it could hurt. That and the squish check!

[Robert_Brenchley]

You might get a better result with repeated spraying with rhubarb tea.

[Ninnyscrops.]

Touching wood, never seen a beetle on my asparagus and with the advice of rhubarb as a deterrent I'm wondering if it's because my rhubarb grows about 5' away on the diagonal from the bed. Just a thought.

Ninny