Asparagus

 

Asparagus family. Homeland tropical and subtropical areas of the Old World. It is divided into semi-rolling species - pinnate asparagus and ampelian species - Sprengeri asparagus. As houseplants, fern-like plants with awl-shaped leaves are common: Asparagus plumosus feathery or Asparagus setaceus is a compact plant with graceful, spreading branches at a young age that eventually bare below. The smallest variety is Asparagus plumosus Nanus.

аспарагусAsparagus densiflorus sprengery
аспарагусAsparagus meyeri
аспарагусAsparagus plumosus

Asparagus Sprenger has Asparagus densiflorus sprengery hanging shoots with bright green "leaves" and red berries.

Less common but more ornamental is Asparagus meyeri. Straight and stiff, densely pubescent "leaves" shoots reach 40-55 cm in length and effectively shade plants with large leaves in compositions.

The sickle-shaped Asparagus falcatus is nothing like a fern. It has large heart-shaped "leaves" and spiny stems reaching one meter in length.

Asparagus asparagus asparagoides is a branched shrub with creeping stems that reach 1.7m in length.

Two common asparaguses - cirrus and densely flowered - are appreciated for their graceful openwork branches. Despite popular belief, they do not belong to ferns, and their silky "leaves" are actually modified stems. In general, asparagus is an unpretentious plant.

Asparagus care

Temperature: Moderate or cool, for most asparaguses in summer preferably no higher than 26 ° C. Winter minimum 10 ° C, ideal 12-14 ° C.

Lighting: Light loving, best place windowsill northeast or northwest window. If the plant is placed in a room, behind a tulle curtain, then its place is near the east or west window; if the window is south, then in the room at some distance from the window. In winter, more scattered light is needed, plants are rearranged closer to the window.

Watering: In winter (from November to February) watering is moderate, with spring it is increased. In summer, you can leave water in pallets.

Humidity: Loves moist air, sometimes asparagus does not bloom just because the air is too dry. If the plant is close to the central heating battery or fireplace, then small leaves begin to turn yellow and crumble, and spraying will not help here, you will have to rearrange the plant away from the source of hot air.

Transplantation: Asparagus requires spacious dishes and light nutritious soil from sheet, greenhouse and clay-turf soil with sand. Young plants are transplanted annually in the spring, old ones every 2-3 years. When transplanting, you should not unnecessarily damage the root system, but if the roots have grown very violently, then you need to carefully cut off the nodules with your hands, so that the root system decreases by three times. During the period of active growth, fertilizing feeding is carried out.

Reproduction: Sowing (March-April) seeds that easily ripen and dividing the bush. When dividing, the plant is carefully knocked out of the pot. Divide into 3-4 parts so that each has at least one aboveground escape. Fertilizing weekly watering in summer contributes to strong growth and abundant flowering. Old plants with dried shoots are best rejuvenated by dividing the rhizome, after pruning.

Growing problems

The leaves turn yellow and fall - when the soil dries out, the air is too dry indoors, in too bright sunlight or lack of lighting, the air temperature is too high.

Scutes - brown plaques on the surface of leaves and stems, suck out cell juice. The leaves lose color, turn yellow, dry and fall.

Trips - high temperature and low humidity contribute to the appearance. On the underside of the leaf, thrips lay numerous colonies, and light dots appear on the upper side of the leaf. As a result, the upper side of the leaf becomes grayish brown with a silvery sheen.

Control measures. On asparagus, thrips and shields are easiest to fight with the help of systemic insecticides - actara or confidor.

Spider mite, (much less often, but still can harm with too dry air) - a web appears on the stems in the internodes, the leaves become sluggish and fall off.

Control measures. Wipe the plant with a soap sponge and wash under a warm shower. Regularly sprayed. With a very strong lesion, asparagus can be sprayed with 0.15% actellic solution (1-2 ml per liter of water).

By the way

In some countries in Europe and North America, some plants from the asparagus family are grown as vegetable crops. Young shoots that have not yet sprouted from the soil are edible.

аспарагус

Asparagus is easily propagated by seeds - shiny, black, pepper-like peas (the same size). Seeds are easiest to sow in peat tablets.