Asparagus weeds - Weeds Australia

Control methodsShould I remove all plant material off-siteafter ‘crowning’?Many people hang A. aethiopicus plants androot mats in tree forks, but be aware that if thetubers, which are water holding sacs, are stillattached to the rhizome, plants can continueto grow, develop fruit and set seed. If the plantis fruiting, the fruits should be removed anddisposed of properly.Leaving crowns on-site is only used in:• remote areas where removal of largeamounts of refuse is a problem,• large infestations, and• areas where follow-up treatment will occur.When crowning, leave the tubers and as muchof the soil as possible in the ground. If you areleaving plant material on-site, leave the foliageattached to the crown to assist the plant indrying out.Asparagus africanus crownAndrew MeiklejohnPittwater CouncilKerinne HarveyAsparagus aethiopicus drying out in tree forkAsparagus aethiopicus crown removalBe careful of suckering and layering when crowning Asparagus plumosusAsparagus plumosus crowns are capable of sending outcreeping, underground stems or runners. These stems canbe greater than 2 m long and produce more climbing stemsfrom nodes along their length. Be aware, and search forcreeping stems and new crowns that can form along theserunners, particularly where infestations run under logs orother objects. Rooting from the nodes may also occur whenclimbing stems come in contact with the ground, such aswhen pulled down by a tree fall. These underground stemsform new crowns, which must also be removed.rhizomeAsparagus plumosusroots and rhizomesDrawing by Catherine Wardrop ©Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust46