Asparagus

Asparagus beetle

What you will see

Adult beetles and larvae eat asparagus stems and foliage; they die back and turn brown.

How to protect

1. Prevention

   • Small populations do not harm the following crop and can be tolerated.
   • Remove old stems at the end of the year (you destroy overwintering beetles).
2. By hand May to SeptemberFrom late spring, pick off beetles and larvae by hand.
3. Biological when presentBiological control with nematodes can be bought.

Slugs and snails

What you will see

Irregular holes in soft leaves and young shoots and slime trails; they feed at night.

How to protect

1. Prevention

   • Water in the morning, not the evening (evening watering helps them move around).
   • Encourage their natural enemies: birds, hedgehogs, toads, ground beetles.
2. By hand evening, after rainPick them off by hand on damp evenings and take them far away. Traps: hollowed-out citrus halves placed cut side down, or sunken containers of beer; check in the morning.
3. Biological when the soil is warm and moistSlug-specific nematodes (from a biological control supplier) are watered into the soil.
4. Chemical — only when nothing else helps according to the product labelLast resort only: a product authorised in your country against slugs and snails. Try non-chemical methods first.