How do you grow dwarf asparagus fern (Asparagus plumosus) so it stays short and sturdy?

1. Add less fertilizer

If it is still just a seedling, you must not give it too much fertilizer. In spring and summer especially, do not apply fertilizer in too large a dose or too concentrated a strength; once a month is enough. If it is already a mature plant, then in spring and summer, the seasons suited to growth, add only a little fertilizer or none at all. If it needs repotting, just add some freshly mixed soil to its pot.

2. Prune more

If you want it to grow fairly short but sturdy, you should trim it on a regular schedule so that its growth pattern and shape are maintained. Of course, be careful about how much you prune; just cut off the branches and leaves that are not very healthy or have already died, and keep it in a fairly low form. Pruning it often not only slows its growth rate but also makes it sturdier and better shaped.

3. Chemical dwarfing

If you really want it to keep a short, sturdy form, wait until the seedling grows to 10 cm, then use a chemical to dwarf it. You can spray its leaves with paclobutrazol, which will slow its growth rate. If it has already grown large, you can spray its leaves with a certain amount of chlormequat.

4. Choose a short, sturdy variety

This bamboo itself has some varieties that grow fairly short, and this kind of variety has no stem and cannot climb, so it can always keep a small, compact form. You can simply choose this type of variety and it will keep a short, sturdy form all along.