Dr. Phyto

asparagus

Asparagus officinalis

Diseases & pests on this plant

• asparagus beetleCrioceris asparagi

  Adult beetles (6-8mm, blue-black with red + yellow markings) feeding on spears + fern, slug-like grey-green larvae (up to 8mm) on fern stems, dark brown eggs in rows on spears + fern, severe defoliation in summer weakens crowns, gnawing damage on emerging spears makes them unmarketable.

• asparagus rustPuccinia asparagi

  Bright orange-red pustules on ferny summer growth + bushy stems, severe infection causes premature fern death + yellowing, weakened crowns produce thin + low-yielding spears the following spring, dark teliospores form on dying stems in autumn.

• Fusarium crown + root rot of asparagusFusarium oxysporum f.sp. asparagi

  Yellow + wilted ferns in patches that spread radially over years, crown + root tissues show pink-to-orange Fusarium discoloration when sliced, spear yield + size decline progressively, complete patches die out after 3-5 years, plantings become uneconomic to maintain after 10-15 years.