How to prune and shape a potted asparagus fern bonsai? A detailed guide to the methods

  The potted asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus) is deeply favored by the general public for being easy to grow, elegant and attractive, and for absorbing toxic gases. The whole asparagus fern is verdant; although its stems and branches are slender, they stand upright, and its leaf-like branches spread out horizontally in a shape close to a triangle, with leaves reduced to membranous scales attached to the branches like down feathers. Because its stems grow in clusters from the base and vary in height, the cloud-like layers of branches and leaves stack one upon another, which is why it is also called cloud bamboo.

  If you want your asparagus fern to stay verdant and elegant, with its graceful color and posture enduring, you must prune it at the right time (spring or autumn).

  There are two ways to propagate asparagus fern: sowing and division. With propagation by sowing, an asparagus fern raised for about one year mainly needs strengthened management of its natural growth during the growing season. When you see new stems emerge and reach a certain height, that is, when the entire leaf base appears, especially when the branch tips at the upper end of the stems have all grown out, you should fix the position of the flower pot according to your own requirements, and the new branches will then spread out horizontally toward the sunny side. Asparagus fern at this stage generally does not produce new stems with climbing ability, so the plant shape generally does not need pruning; proper tying is all that is needed. An asparagus fern raised for about two years begins to grow new stems with climbing ability. At this point, you can deal with them in different ways according to your own specific conditions and preferences. You can let them climb naturally along a string, or attach them to a flower stand or to the old stems and old branches of the asparagus fern, or simply cut some off. However, the latter two practices not only affect the growth of the asparagus fern but also detract from the beauty of the whole plant, so proper pruning is best. The method is to prune the longer climbing old stems several times in succession according to the shape of the whole plant and your own requirements, cutting off all or part of the upper sections of the old stems that bear branches and leaves. To give the new branches growing from the leaf bases of the pruned old stems a certain layered arrangement, you should create height differences between adjacent old stems when pruning. About 20 days after pruning, the old stems will sprout new branches and leaves from the topmost leaf base. As for how to determine the direction in which the newly grown branches and leaves spread, the method is the same as described above.

  During growth, the newly grown branches and leaves must not touch other branches, leaves or objects, otherwise the normal growth of the new branches and leaves and the beauty of the plant shape will be affected.

  To keep the whole asparagus fern growing well and looking attractive, you also need to cut off overly dense, withered and yellow branches and leaves as well as weak stems, so as to improve ventilation and light penetration, promote growth and enhance its ornamental value.

  Because the branches and leaves of the asparagus fern spread out horizontally, they easily collect dust, which is also bad for its growth and appearance, so it needs to be sprayed with water to remove the dust. Before spraying, it is best to gently shake the stems and leaves with your hand, or blow on them with an inflator pump, to remove some of the surface dust first, then slowly spray and wash them with a fine-nozzle watering can; this gives a better result. After spraying, gently shake off the water droplets left on them. Some people cover the asparagus fern with a transparent plastic bag to keep off dust temporarily; although this works, it affects ventilation and light, and is also bad for viewing.

  When tying an asparagus fern, it is not advisable to insert thick bamboo or wooden sticks into the pot or use too thick a string, as these do not match the slender stems and branches of the asparagus fern. You should use thin string whose color is close to that of the asparagus fern to tie the stems and branches and adjust the plant shape; this will not affect its verdant grace. With proper management, a potted asparagus fern will surely give your room a fresh new look.

  The asparagus fern is a plant with very high ornamental value. It can be placed in the living room or study; while purifying the air, it also adds a literary atmosphere. Potted specimens are mainly grown for their foliage, fresh and elegantly understated, and placing one in a study adds even more of a scholarly feel. The asparagus fern has slender branches and leaves, is upright and graceful, with a well-balanced verdant density and an elegant posture, and has therefore become a common potted plant in the offices and homes of literati and refined scholars. Many people also like to shape asparagus ferns, so today let's talk about all things related to asparagus fern shaping.

  The commonly used asparagus fern shaping methods are as follows:

  1. Pot control method: the size ratio of the flower pot to the plant should be 1:3; this can restrict root growth and keep the plant shape and size unchanged.

  2. Remove the growing point: when a new bud grows to 2-3 cm, remove the growing point; this can promote the regrowth of branches and leaves on the stem, and can control it from growing vines, so that the branches and leaves spread out flat and the plant shape keeps filling out.

  3. Make use of the asparagus fern's phototropism: turn the flower pot in good time to correct the growth shape of the branches and leaves and keep the plant shape unchanged.

  4. Object-blocking 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 and meet an object blocking them, the stems turn or bend as they grow, thereby achieving the shaping goal.

  5. Combined use of several shaping methods:

  (1) Tower style: choose 2-3 tall, upright and graceful stems as the main peak, remove all the growing points on the stems, and set the plant height at 30-35 cm. The remaining stems and newly grown stems should not be taller than the main peak. For new buds, whether to remove the growing point can be decided according to the thickness of their stems. If their stems are thicker than the main peak's stems, they should be removed; if thinner than the main peak's, there is no need to remove them, and they can be left to grow. At the same time, you also need to use the object-blocking method and its own phototropism to keep adjusting the plant shape.

  (2) Double-clump style: plant two asparagus ferns in the pot, one tall and one short, the tall one about 30 cm and the short one about 18 cm; during the growing period, simply shape them as for the tower-style asparagus fern.

  (3) Natural style: mainly follow the asparagus fern's natural growth shape, still using the basic methods of removing growing points, object blocking and making use of its phototropism, so that the branches and leaves spread out and give a natural sense of beauty.

  Points to note:

  1. Shaping the asparagus fern must be combined with controlling fertilizer and water. That is, at a room temperature of 15-18°C, water thoroughly once a week to keep the potting soil moist (it is best if a finger can press into it). Do not fertilize, or fertilize only lightly.

  2. The asparagus fern should be repotted once a year, with the pot size increasing year by year. If you do not change to a larger pot, you can turn out the plant, remove part of the small root tubers, replace with new soil, and plant it back in the original pot; usually pay attention to renewing the stems and branches, and remove aged, diseased and damaged stems and branches at any time.