A detailed guide to making an asparagus fern bonsai, easy for beginners to learn

How to select materials

Select a 56cm-long irregular-shaped white marble shallow pot and its matching stand.

Select two asparagus ferns (Asparagus setaceus) with a height of just over 10cm and in good growth, and one asparagus fern about 20cm tall.

Select two landscape stones only about 10cm tall.

Select several horse and sheep accessories of varying sizes.

An appropriate amount of potting soil and moss.

Bonsai styling

There are mainly the following methods for styling large asparagus ferns:

"Three legs of a tripod" style bonsai

First spread a thin layer of potting soil in the white marble shallow pot, and plant the tallest asparagus fern, with its curved branches and leaves, at the right end of the pot, taking care to adjust the branches and leaves to face left.

Plant the second-tallest asparagus fern not far to the left of the first asparagus fern, and appropriately close to the back edge of the pot.

Then plant the shortest asparagus fern at the boundary between 1/2 and 2/3 of the pot's length, with its curved branches and leaves also facing left, so as to achieve a coordinated and unified orientation for the three plants.

Then, looking from afar and examining up close, adjust the positions of the asparagus ferns in the pot until a natural and graceful effect is achieved.

Tower-style bonsai

Select 2--3 tall, upright and elegant stems as the main peaks, remove all the growing points on the stems, and set the plant height at 30--35cm; the remaining stems and newly grown stems should not be taller than the main peaks. When planting, the stems form a tower shape that decreases progressively.

As the asparagus fern grows, the stems grow at different rates; remove the growing points according to the thickness of the stems. If a stem is thicker than the main trunk, its top should be removed. If it is thinner than the main trunk, it can be allowed to grow freely. At the same time, the plant shape can be adjusted by the shading method or by the plant's own phototropism.

Double-clump style bonsai

Plant one tall and one short asparagus fern in the pot, with the tall one about 30cm and the short one about cm; during growth, simply style them as with the tower-style asparagus fern.

Natural-style bonsai

Mainly based on the naturally growing plant shape of the asparagus fern, still using basic methods such as removing growing points, shading with objects, and making use of its phototropism, so that the branches and leaves spread out and give a natural sense of beauty.

Bonsai beautification -- placing stones and laying moss

The branches and stems of the asparagus fern are fine and curved, which is an expression of softness; in addition, the surroundings of the irregular white marble pot are also curved. This scene has more than enough softness but not enough masculine strength. A good bonsai needs a balance of hardness and softness. Let's see how to beautify it:

At an appropriate position toward the right rear on the pot surface, place two upright landscape stones; the stones are hard in texture and their left and right side lines are straight, which is an expression of hardness. On the potting soil on the pot surface, lay a layer of moss to achieve a greening artistic effect. Spray clear water onto the asparagus fern and moss, and make the potting soil moist.

Done, the beautiful asparagus fern and landscape stone bonsai is complete.