Asparagus Companion Planting
Asparagus officinalis
Asparagus (Asparagaceae) -- cool season
Good Companions for Asparagus
Tomato plants contain solanine and tomatine glycoalkaloids that deter asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi). Asparagus root exudates may suppress root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) that affect tomato.
Plant tomatoes adjacent to asparagus bed edges, not within the perennial bed itself.
- Asparagus beetle management through companion planting -- Cornell Cooperative Extension (2017)
- Nematicidal potential of asparagic acid from Asparagus -- Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2006)
Parsley flowers attract parasitoid wasps and hover flies that prey on asparagus beetle larvae. Parsley ground cover conserves moisture around asparagus crowns.
Plant parsley along asparagus bed margins. Allow second-year parsley to flower.
- The role of Apiaceae floral resources in supporting beneficial insects -- Journal of Insect Conservation (2006)
Basil volatiles deter asparagus beetle through olfactory disruption. Basil planted among asparagus ferns after spring harvest provides season-long pest deterrent.
Plant basil in asparagus bed during summer after harvest season ends.
- Aromatic Plants as a Tool in Pest Management -- University of Florida IFAS Extension (2018)