How to grow potted asparagus fern? Answers to common questions about home gardening
Asparagus fern, also known as cloud bamboo, is a perennial evergreen climbing plant of the genus Asparagus in the Liliaceae family. Native to southern Africa. Ecological habits:
Asparagus fern is not cold-tolerant, not drought-tolerant, prefers a warm, semi-shady environment, and fears frost. Asparagus fern has strict requirements for potting soil: it should be loose, fertile, well-drained, and well-aerated, and the potting soil is best neutral. It can be made up of leaf mold, sand and decomposed fertilizer. Asparagus fern is not cold-tolerant and also fears heat; the optimal growth temperature is between 15~25°C. It can neither withstand direct light nor stay in shade for too long. Watering should not be excessive; follow the watering principle of watering when dry and stopping when wet. Applying fertilizer once a month can meet its growth needs. One- to two-year-old asparagus ferns have the greatest ornamental value. Three-year-old asparagus ferns begin to send out tendrils, and a support should be set up for them to climb on. If you do not want to set up a support, you can also cut the climbing branches back to the root. Asparagus fern is not cold-tolerant; the overwintering temperature is 10°C.
Common questions about home gardening:
1. Why do the tender leaves of asparagus fern turn scorched black at the tip when they reach a certain height, while branches and leaves can still grow from the sides?
The main causes of scorched tips on asparagus fern tender leaves are overly dry potting soil, insufficient fertilizer, or fertilizer burn. In addition, asparagus fern is originally a climbing plant, and when it grows tall it must have a support or string to climb up; otherwise, because the top shoots bend and droop, the supply of water and nutrients is affected, and similar conditions can also occur
2. What diseases is asparagus fern prone to? How should they be prevented and treated?
① Asparagus fern small branches turn yellow but do not fall off, mainly caused by insufficient nutrients in the potting soil and malnutrition. Some cases are caused by hard, compacted potting soil, poor aeration, and reduced root vitality, which affects the plant's normal growth. In addition to repotting in spring with nutrient-rich potting soil, you should also frequently loosen the surface of the potting soil and pay attention to increasing fertilization.
② Asparagus fern leaf tips turn yellow and dry or fall off, mainly caused by too little watering, overly dry potting soil, or relatively low humidity. You should keep the potting soil moist regularly, frequently spray water on the plant, with the water temperature preferably the same as room temperature, and place the asparagus fern in a place with high air humidity. During the growing season, apply a balanced fertilizer appropriately to promote vigorous growth and stronger resistance.
③ Asparagus fern branch tips are dark yellow or yellow-green, caused by strong light exposure or excessive watering. It should be moved to a shady place or beside a window with curtains, avoiding direct strong light, and at the same time take care not to water too much.
④ Asparagus fern roots rot, and branch tips turn scorched yellow and fall off, mainly caused by exposure to strong winds in the hot summer season, or long-term water accumulation in the pot. Therefore, in summer, special attention should be paid to guarding against thunderstorms or typhoons.
3. Causes of yellowing branches and leaves in potted asparagus fern and prevention and treatment methods?
a) Too much light. Asparagus fern prefers semi-shade and fears strong light. In summer, if it is placed in direct sunlight, the branches and leaves will wither and yellow. Once this happens, move the pot to a cool place, and at the same time frequently spray water on the branches and leaves to increase relative humidity; most mildly affected plants can recover.
b) Improper watering. Although asparagus fern likes moisture, it is very afraid of water accumulation in the pot. Too much water easily causes root rot, while too little water makes leaf tips dry out easily. If root rot occurs, control watering and frequently loosen the soil. For dry leaf tips, water lightly at first, then gradually increase, and at the same time spray water on the branches and leaves.
c) Insufficient nutrients. Asparagus fern loves fertile soil. If the soil is not changed and fertilizer is not added for a long time, nutrients will be in short supply, and branches and leaves will turn yellow. At this time, apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once a week, and water and loosen the soil in time.
d) Improper fertilization. If the topdressing concentration is too strong or undecomposed fertilizer is applied, it is very easy to cause fertilizer burn, leading to dry and falling leaves. Once fertilizer burn occurs, take the pot out, remove the fertilizer, then rinse the soil ball with clean water, and replace it with new potting soil.
e) Poor winter management. Asparagus fern loves warmth and should face the sun in winter. If it is kept in a place with insufficient light for a long time at this time, plus poor ventilation and cold, it is easy to cause branches and leaves to wither and yellow. At this time, move it to a warm place with sunlight, and appropriately control watering, and it can gradually recover to normal.
Infection by pests and diseases. Once asparagus fern is infected by pests such as scale insects, it will also cause branches and leaves to wither and yellow, and should be controlled in time.
Common varieties for home gardening
To do a good job in home gardening, the following conditions should first be considered:1. The flowers planted should adapt to the local soil, water and climate;
2. Cultivate varieties that are easy to keep alive, evergreen, and easy to flower;
3. Choose varieties that can regulate indoor air at night;
4. Choose varieties that occupy little space but can still achieve a good beautifying effect.
After considering the above situations, you should also choose flower varieties according to the room's location, direction and light conditions:
1. For east- and west-facing rooms, because the light duration is short, you can choose more shade-tolerant flowers, such as camellia, rhododendron, banana shrub, Chinese hibiscus, asparagus fern, and Japanese rohdea;
2. For south-facing rooms, which have the characteristics of long sunshine hours and strong light, they are suitable for the growth of light-loving flowers such as Chinese rose, Milan, jasmine, pomegranate, geranium, bougainvillea, garden balsam, cockscomb, scarlet sage, carnation, snapdragon, ornamental pepper, and cactus ball;
3. Housing under the threat of blazing western sun will restrict flower growing, but if planting is cleverly arranged to green the environment, not only can flowers be grown, it can also help lower the temperature of west-facing rooms. The specific method is:
First erect four support posts at the four corners of the balcony, or install two support posts at the two front corners of the balcony, fix them at the top and bottom, and weave a net between the posts with wire or nylon cord, and plant two to four pots of climbing plants under the net, such as morning glory, honeysuckle, cypress vine, Chinese trumpet creeper, grape, etc. Soon they will climb upward rapidly with the help of the posts and the cord net. When the hot summer days arrive, a curtain that can both block the western sun with green shade and allow you to enjoy flowers and fruit will have formed.
On a west-facing balcony protected by a green screen, in fact most herbaceous flowers and sun-loving woody flowers can almost all grow robustly and safely, such as garden balsam, purslane, dahlia, gladiolus, tuberose, canna, cactus ball, geranium, kumquat, jasmine, bitter orange, Chinese hibiscus, winter jasmine, pomegranate, Chinese cypress, dragon juniper, as well as tree-stump bonsai such as Japanese apricot, Chinese wolfberry, ginkgo, and trident maple.
4. For north-facing rooms, there is more light but the temperature is lower, so you should choose clivia, camellia, rhododendron, banana shrub, heavenly bamboo, turtle bamboo, wax begonia, calla lily, Japanese rohdea, and ribbon grass, etc.;
5. For housing without a balcony, rooftop terrace or courtyard, as long as there is a window indoors, no matter what the orientation, you can grow some foliage-oriented potted flowers, such as placing a pot of hanging-style English ivy or Boston ivy on a cabinet, or placing a pot of asparagus fern, water bamboo, or Japanese rohdea on a chest of drawers, writing desk or tea table. They are evergreen all year round, making the room appear quiet and elegant and full of vitality. Or cultivate a pot of clivia suitable for indoor growing; every spring, the golden-yellow flowers it opens set off each other beautifully with the green leaves, extremely beautiful. Its affectionate, delicately fragrant gentlemanly air brings waves of spring feeling to people and adds extraordinary charm. All these flowers are not too difficult to care for normally, but in winter they need to be placed indoors, and on summer and autumn nights placed in a ventilated spot by the window, and they can all grow well.
6. For some indoor areas, corridors and other places that receive no light or very good light, what kind of flowers to choose requires careful consideration. All these places are generally difficult for growing flowers well. Using potted flowers as temporary decoration is still possible, but not for too long; usually about one week is appropriate.
Spring: cineraria, butterfly flower, winter jasmine
Summer: Chinese rose, jasmine, lotus
Autumn: bamboo begonia, scarlet sage, cockscomb, chrysanthemum
Winter: Christmas cactus, narcissus, cyclamen, clivia
Easy-to-keep-alive herbaceous flowers include: petunia, lantana, purslane, cineraria, garden balsam, cyclamen. Hehe, even growing a pot of grass is pleasant.
If placed at home, a few stalks of lucky bamboo or curled bamboo, inserted in a glass bottle with clean water, can be left to grow on their own.
How to match home gardening varieties
As the saying goes: "An elegant room need not be large; fragrance of flowers need not be plentiful." Placing some flowers and plants indoors, with green leaves and abundant blossoms, evergreen all year round, truly brings full spring feeling and vitality. But how much do you know about matching home gardening plants? Below, the Boqi.com editor, combining experts' suggestions, sorts it out for everyone.
Home gardening
For home-grown flowers, potted plants are generally the main form. Due to limited conditions, do not plant too many; 10~15 pots is suitable. The flowers chosen are best able to cover foliage flowers, flowering flowers, fruiting flowers, fragrant plants, and form-appreciating flowers, etc., so that the varieties are rich and diverse.
For home-grown flowers, if the main purpose is decorating the room, you can grow more indoor-suitable foliage plants, such as Brazil wood, schefflera, monstera (detailed introduction), green giant, areca palm, bamboo palm, pygmy date palm, cast-iron plant, spider plant (detailed introduction), pothos, asparagus fern, clivia, etc. These flowers and trees are relatively shade-tolerant and can grow normally with only weak light or scattered light.
For home-grown flowers, if the purpose is ornamental appreciation, you can grow more flowering, fruiting, and stem-appreciating flowers and bonsai, such as Chinese rose, camellia, rhododendron, Milan, jasmine, Chinese hibiscus, pomegranate, kumquat, Buddha belly bamboo, lucky bamboo, sago palm, five-needle pine, elm stump, and banyan stump, etc.
When growing flowers at home, you should also consider the matching of flower varieties for the four seasons:
In spring, mainly flowering plants, such as camellia, rhododendron, plum blossom, Dutch narcissus, winter jasmine, etc., matched with some foliage plants and landscape stone bonsai;
In summer, mainly fragrant plants and cool-color-series flowers, such as white orchid, Milan, jasmine, iris, hydrangea, etc., matched with some foliage plants and herbaceous flowers;
In autumn, mainly fruit-appreciating plants, such as pomegranate, firethorn, kumquat, bitter orange, potted grape, etc., matched with some colorful-leaf plants, such as sweetgum, poinsettia, trident maple, red maple, feather maple, ginkgo, spotted laurel, etc., and also matched with some herbaceous flowers and tree-stump bonsai;
In winter, mainly foliage plants, matched with some seasonal flowers and landscape stone bonsai. For foliage plants, choose types that are evergreen all year round and relatively cold-tolerant, such as sago palm, bamboo palm, areca palm, rubber tree, Brazil wood, bird's nest fern, cast-iron plant, spider plant, etc. Seasonal flowers include cyclamen, clivia, poinsettia, amaryllis, cineraria, primrose, narcissus, etc.
If you need to purify indoor nighttime air, you should choose succulents, such as cactus, cactus ball, mountain shadow boxing, Christmas cactus, jade plant, etc. These plants can absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen at night, and are drought-tolerant and evergreen all year round, but not cold-tolerant. As long as you avoid blazing sun in summer, keep warm and protect from cold in winter, and keep the potting soil on the dry side, they can all grow normally.
If the indoor space is relatively small, you can choose small potted flowers and hanging plants, such as asparagus fern, cyclamen, miniature Chinese rose, African violet, Haworthia fasciata, living stone, saxifrage, wandering jew, etc., which both beautify the home environment and do not occupy too much space. These plants are all relatively easy to care for.