How to Plant Asparagus Fern Seeds? A Detailed Guide to the Sowing Method
Do you know how to plant asparagus fern seeds? The asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus) is a highly ornamental plant that prefers a warm, humid, and semi-shaded, well-ventilated environment. It can be placed in the living room or study, purifying the air while adding a touch of scholarly elegance. During cultivation, it can be propagated from seed. Below, the editor will introduce how to plant asparagus fern seeds!
How Do You Plant Asparagus Fern Seeds?
Some asparagus fern seeds are bought directly, while others are collected yourself. The fruits of the asparagus fern ripen successively in winter. When the fruits turn purplish-black, the seeds can be collected. After collecting the fruits, peel off the skin to take out the seeds, wash them clean, and they are ready for sowing.
The germination temperature for asparagus fern needs to be above 18°C. If the temperature cannot be reached, the sowing time can be postponed. The sowing medium for asparagus fern is fairly flexible: you can use seedling blocks, sowing peat, or garden soil + honeycomb coal. However, the editor suggests choosing a sowing medium with the best possible air permeability.
When sowing asparagus fern, do not cover the seeds with soil too deeply; generally about 2 cm is enough. Then pay attention to moisture retention: you can cover with plastic film or use a seedling box, place it in a sunny spot, and keep the temperature above 18°C. Be patient about the germination time. According to what is known, some flower enthusiasts had seeds germinate in 2 weeks, while others took 3-4 weeks, so the key to sowing is patience. After germination, when the seedlings grow to 3-4 cm tall, they can be separated and transplanted.
Reasons Why Asparagus Fern Seeds Do Not Germinate After Sowing
1. The seeds are picked before they are mature, making it difficult for them to germinate after sowing. When harvesting, you should generally wait until the outer skin of the seed turns purplish-black and soft, then harvest, promptly rub and wash off the skin, and float off the empty, shriveled seeds.
2. If the seeds are not soaked for 24 hours before sowing, or if the sowing pot soil is too dry, the seeds will also be difficult to germinate.
3. The room temperature at sowing time is too low. When the temperature is below 10°C, the seeds are also unlikely to germinate.
4. If the pot soil is too wet or too sticky, the seeds rot after cracking open and showing white, resulting in failure to germinate.
5. Old seeds have long since lost their vitality.
Making a Bonsai After Asparagus Fern Seeds Germinate
The asparagus fern has a graceful posture, with slender, soft branches and distinct, well-ordered layers. After being designed and composed into a bonsai and displayed on a balcony or indoors, it looks even more elegant and serene. The method of making it is as follows:
1. Material selection first: one asparagus fern about 20 cm tall, two asparagus ferns over 10 cm tall, an irregular-shaped white marble shallow pot with its matching stand, several landscape stones about 10 cm tall, an appropriate amount of potting soil and green moss.
2. Bonsai shaping: spread a thin layer of potting soil on the surface of the white marble shallow pot. Plant the tallest asparagus fern in the right end of the pot with its curved branches and leaves facing left. Plant the second-tallest asparagus fern not far to the left of the first asparagus fern, at a suitable position near the back edge of the pot. Then plant the shortest asparagus fern at the boundary between the 1/3 and 2/3 length of the pot, with its curved branches and leaves also facing left, so that the orientation of the three asparagus ferns is coordinated and unified. Then adjust the positions of the asparagus ferns in the pot until they achieve a natural and beautiful look.
3. Placing stones and laying moss: place several landscape stones at a suitable position toward the right rear of the pot surface, and cover the potting soil on the pot surface with green moss to achieve a greening artistic effect. Finally, spray clean water onto the asparagus ferns and moss to moisten the potting soil.
Methods for Shaping an Asparagus Fern Bonsai
1. Pot control method: the size ratio of the flower pot to the plant should be 1:3, which can limit the growth of the root system and keep the plant's size unchanged.
2. Remove the growing point: when new buds grow to 2-3 cm, remove the growing point, which can promote new branches and leaves on the stem and control it from growing vines, making the branches and leaves spread out flat and the plant shape continuously fuller.
3. Use the phototropism of the asparagus fern: turn the flower pot's direction at the right time to correct the growth shape of the branches and leaves and keep the plant shape unchanged.
4. Object-shading method: that is, use a piece of cardboard to press down the branches and leaves or block the sunlight, so that when the branches and leaves grow, upon encountering the object's obstruction, the stem turns or bends as it grows, thereby achieving the purpose of shaping.