Common Asparagus Diseases
- Fungi. Anthracnose. Asparagus Rust. Cercospora Needle Blight. Crown and Root Rot. Fusarium Wilt. Gray Mold. Purple Spot. Red Rot. White Mold.
- Water Molds (Oomycetes) Phytophthora Crown, Root, and Spear Rot.
- Viruses. Asparagus Virus I and II.
What is wrong with my asparagus?
Wind can distort spear growth; protect asparagus from prevailing winds. Too close cultivation will cause spears to malform: plant at the recommended distance and be careful when weeding. Spears are brown or discolored and soft. Frost injury occurs when the crop comes up too early in spring.
What causes asparagus to wilt?
This wilt disease is caused by a fungus (Fusarium). Asparagus plants under stress from poor growing conditions (such as drought, poor drainage, or insect or disease injury) are more severely affected. The fungus lives on organic matter in the soil.
What part of asparagus do you not eat?
You can eat the whole spear except for the woody stem towards the bottom. Hold the asparagus spear on each end firmly.
What causes asparagus to curl?
Your asparagus is curling because it is being attacked by pests or diseases. The problem can also occur due to a lack of the right amount of water, sunlight, or nutrients. It could also be because of damage to the crown or roots of the plant.
What are the little black dots on asparagus?
Fungus. Sexual stage of the fungus (Pleospora herbarum) produc- es overwintering structures (pseudothecia), appearing as small, black dots on asparagus plant debris from previous season.
What causes asparagus to be Woody?
“Asparagus loses moisture very quickly, the sugars within the spear begin to turn to starch, and the spear develops woody tissue if left at room temperature. In thinner asparagus spears, this happens even faster.”
Why is my asparagus bending over?
Asparagus spears grow extremely fast and are highly sensitive to mechanical injury from cultivation, insect feeding or wind- blown soil particles. Spears injured from any cause will grow slowly. Rapid growth on the opposite side of the spears causes them to curve and bend toward the injured side.
Why is my asparagus bolting?
The hotter it is, the more rapidly asparagus “bolts” or ferns out. While you can do nothing about overly hot temps, asparagus may fern out early due to inadequate rainfall as well, which is something you can control. During times of drought, be sure to water once a week or enough to keep the soil moist 2 inches (5 cm.)
Why is my asparagus growing skinny?
Lack of Water. These plants are moderately drought tolerant and will survive without a lot of water, but dry conditions will cause them to grow more slowly and produce thinner, weaker stalks. During the first couple of growing seasons, plants should receive one to two inches of water per week.
Why you shouldn’t Snap ends off asparagus?
THE BOTTOM LINE: You’ll throw away more asparagus if you snap off the ends, and the spears won’t look as long and elegant. For many reasons, we think trimming and peeling is worth the effort. SNAPPED: Snapping the natural breaking point means losing half the weight of almost every spear.
How long should I cook asparagus for?
Your average asparagus will take about 5 minutes. Large asparagus can take 6 to 7 minutes, and if they are a bit old and tough, even longer.
How do you clean asparagus before cooking?
How to Clean Asparagus
- Remove the woody part of the spears. The best way to clean asparagus is to start by snapping off the woody part at the bottom of each stalk.
- Rinse the asparagus under running water.
- Pat the asparagus dry.
Can you eat curled asparagus?
Other than that i’d say it’s still ok and if you’re in that harvest window just pick it and eat it . Sometimes my asparagus curls as well. I’ve never worried about it as it seems just to be an anomaly. Sometimes it happens, most of the time it doesn’t.
What happens if you plant asparagus too close together?
Most asparagus planting instructions are for planting rows, but they indicate that spacing too-close can decrease yields and increase the risk of fungal disease.
What do you do with overgrown asparagus?
Pruning Asparagus Plants
- Wait until all the foliage has died back and turned brown or yellow.
- Cut the plants back to the soil surface and apply mulch to help against deep freeze or changes in soil temperatures.
- If you have issues with disease or insects, it’s best to cut the tops off of your asparagus.
What does asparagus beetle look like?
The adult common asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi) is bluish-black with six cream colored spots on its back. Adult spotted asparagus beetles (Crioceris duodecimpunctata) are reddish-orange with twelve black spots.
Can you eat asparagus with asparagus beetle eggs?
Scary Food Facts: Beetle Eggs In Canned Asparagus? The FDA Says It’s OK.
Can you eat asparagus with purple spot?
During wet, windy weather conditions, purple spots develop on the emerging spears. These purple spots do not impact either the flavour or texture of the spear. In fact, they typically disappear during cooking.
Why is my asparagus tough and stringy?
Asparagus gets woody, or sometimes described as stringy, the longer it is stored. This happens in two places: at the cut end, and throughout the inside of the spear. What is this? When the spears are cut for harvest, they try to heal themselves, and this causes woodiness at the end of the stem.
Should I cut back overgrown asparagus?
The asparagus foliage can be cut back to the ground after it has been destroyed by cold temperatures in fall. However, it is generally recommended that the dead foliage be allowed to stand over winter.