HOME > Chowhound > Gardening >
Apr 16, 2009 05:41 AM

Oh no! Aphids in the Asparagus!!


  1. Click to Upload a photo (10 MB limit)
  1. UMass Amherst has a wonderful Extension service which helps home gardeners and commercial growers as well. That's where you want to get your information. But, I do know that the asparagus ferns should have been removed in last Autumn when you put the garden to bed. Those aphids do have natural predators but if you have a heavy infestation you might have to rely on a natural spray.

    Here's the UMass Insect Management page:

    1. Strange. Growing up we had a big perennial asparagus patch and lots of aphid problems on the other annual crops. The asparagus never suffered. Maybe because during the long period of production we harvested young stalks after only a few days and never maintained any foilage. Good thing we didn't have root aphids.

      1. For aphids on any vegetable I make a dilute soap solution using a tablespoon or so of dishsoap and a quart of water. I spray this generously right on to the plant. Knocks them out every time. This also works with ants on citrus trees.

        3 Replies
        1. re: mochimunchie

          Works great to get rid of them, but they may come back. There are many oils that you can use on vegetables that are not harmful, organic and safe. I mix them often with baking soda and JOY detergent. The JOY, and less the only one, not lemon sent ... not dove but JOY and then baking soda which keeps the soap and oil on the plants and then the oil.

          I will have to search my records, but there are many that work. The soap spray will work immediately, but more than likely they may come back. Aphids are very common and do a lot of damage quickly. I haven't had problems lately, but with my garden I had to keep on top of it.

          1. re: kchurchill5

            The oil is neem oil. It is unbelievably stinky, but incredibly effective against aphids (my nemesis). It is safe to eat, not a chemical and the smell does go away.

            Does anyone know if the smell penetrates into the plant like if you ate it, you would taste it?

            1. re: Sal Vanilla

              I've worked a lot on Integrated Pest Management (IPM). One time I was with a really great Okie international entomologist working on rice IPM in northern Vietnam. We were at a reseach institute's plot with various hopefully botanical pesticides. My buddy drawled, "damm, lookit thet there NEEM, hits been eat'n tu death bah thu bughs!" Sure enough, the neem was the most demaged by defoliators.

        2. I had an aphid problem and ordered live lady bugs online. It took care of the problem. THe lady bugs stick around until there aren;t any aphids left to eat.

          1. If you're interested, this is one of the very best suppliers of natural/organic problem solvers for gardeners. I've used them for about 20 years for everything from vegetable gardening to lawn protection. They are very easy to contact and their service is very user friendly.