Companion Plants for Asparagus

A perennial vegetable grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) does best when grown with certain other plants. These companion plants benefit asparagus by repelling asparagus pests, attracting pollinators or providing nutrients that generally improve the overall vigor and health of the asparagus.

Beetle Beaters

Several companion plants can be used to naturally keep asparagus beetles away from your crop. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) and asparagus are perfect garden companions. Tomatoes contain a chemical known as solanine, which repels the asparagus beetle_._ In return, the asparagus contains a chemical that kills nematodes that feed on tomatoes. Growing the plants together helps to naturally protect both.

Other asparagus beetle-repelling plants include marigolds (Tagetes spp.), petunias (Petunia hybrida) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum, biennial in USDA zones 5 to 9, but generally grown as an annual).

Basil Benefits

The warm-season annual herb basil (Ocimum basilicum) is frequently grown with asparagus. Growing the two plants together attracts ladybugs, beneficial insects known to eat aphids, a pest known for attacking asparagus and other garden vegetables. Basil also repels the asparagus beetle as well as tomato hornworm, making asparagus, tomatoes and basil the perfect companion planting trifecta.

General Gems

Several other garden plants repel while attracting bees and other pollinators that help all of your garden plants produce more blooms and vegetables. Other companion plants for asparagus include:

• Aster (Aster spp., USDA zones 3 through 8)
  
• Comfrey (Symphytum spp., USDA zones 4 through 9)
  
• Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
• Dill (Anethum graveolens)
• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

& How To Cut Down Asparagus Plants

Asparagus is usually planted in the form of bare-root crowns. These are 1-year-old clumps of roots with dormant buds that can be planted directly in the garden. Once asparagus plants reach their third year, you can harvest them fully every year, usually over a period of at least two months. Mature plants will begin sending up shoots in early spring, and continue doing so well into summer, depending on your climate. Continue to harvest asparagus until the new stalks become small and thin. Asparagus is ready to harvest when spears are 6 to 8 inches tall. Cut stalks off at ground level with a pair of clippers or gardening snips. It is also possible to snap stalks off with a gentle, twisting pull.

& How To Cut Down Asparagus Plants

Asparagus is usually planted in the form of bare-root crowns. These are 1-year-old clumps of roots with dormant buds that can be planted directly in the garden. Once asparagus plants reach their third year, you can harvest them fully every year, usually over a period of at least two months. Mature plants will begin sending up shoots in early spring, and continue doing so well into summer, depending on your climate. Continue to harvest asparagus until the new stalks become small and thin. Asparagus is ready to harvest when spears are 6 to 8 inches tall. Cut stalks off at ground level with a pair of clippers or gardening snips. It is also possible to snap stalks off with a gentle, twisting pull.