Types And Cultivation Of Asparagus Indoors And In The Garden

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

According to the horoscope for the zodiac sign Gemini (May 21 - June 21), flower astrologers include the following plants: ferns (heart-leaved, humpbacked blehnum, ear-ringed), feathery palms (Canary and Robelena dates, Weddel coconut), zebrin tradescan, graceful callisia, purple, cyanotis cianus, crested chlorophytum, ivy, asparagus (feathery, densely flowered, asparagus)

Home growers highly value Asparagus - from the Asparagaceae family - for its peculiar decorative twigs, densely planted with needle-like "leaves", which are actually regenerated shoots. The translation of the genus name Asparagus (there are about 300 species in it) from Greek means "asparagus". The genus bears the Greek name for this plant.

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Under natural conditions, low-growing asparagus is distributed in the form of a shrub with thin long branches extending directly from dry sandy soil (but near rivers) in temperate climates, in the humid tropics and subtropics of South and East Africa: at sea level and in the mountains at an altitude of up to 1 km … Among its species are lianas, grasses and shrubs.

The main distinguishing feature of plants is the reduction of stems and a change in their appearance. These plants are characterized by fleshy (in the form of tuberous thickenings) roots, which store nutrients and water for the plant to provide it with them in short periods of moisture shortage. It is a dioecious plant: on one specimen, flowers with stamens, on the other - with a pistil. If a pistillate plant is pollinated with staminate pollen, red, then black berries are formed.

Asparagus have come into fashion and indoor decorative floriculture since the 19th century. They are placed on windows with a north-east or north-west orientation. Diffused bright light is more suitable for asparagus, although they may well adapt in partial shade. They grow well under artificial lighting (fluorescent lamps). The plants are protected from direct sunlight. Although there is an opinion that certain species tolerate them within 3-4 hours, it is still not worth the risk.

Florists like this plant because it develops quite normally in both warm and relatively cool rooms. But asparagus does not tolerate drafts, so during airing - it loves fresh air - it is closed from cold air currents. In the first 2-3 years, climbing and tall plants do not need support, they are settled later using fishing line, rope, slats and other material suitable for this purpose.

Asparagus are fast-growing and long-lived (up to 8-12 years) plants. They are transplanted in late winter - early spring. Young specimens are usually reloaded annually, trying to carefully transfer an earthen ball with a root system. Adult plants are transplanted as needed - usually after 2-3 years, when the tuberous roots fill the entire space in the container.

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Before this procedure, the asparagus is watered abundantly so that the earth is well saturated with water. After a few hours, the plant is carefully removed from the pot and the rhizome is divided into several parts with a sharp knife (depending on the size of the bush). They especially try not to destroy the earthen lump, so that lumps of soil are kept at each part. Rotten and dried rhizome pieces are also removed.

Then each piece is planted in a separate container at the same level as before dividing. The surface of the substrate should be significantly lower than the edge of the pot, since the tuberous roots raise the soil as they develop. During transplanting, dry, faded and bare stems are removed to give room for young shoots. The optimal proportion of soil substrate is considered 2 parts of sod land, 2 - humus, 2 - leaf, 1 - sand.

In summer, the temperature is maintained within 18 … 25 ° C (the minimum is 11 … 12 ° C, but it is better not to bring it to this mark). In summer, watering with soft water at room temperature should be (especially in hot weather) abundant enough. But between waterings, you need to let the substrate dry a little.

Excess moisture in the soil and stagnation of water in the sump are not allowed; a drainage layer is required on the bottom of the tank. If the room is dry and warm, the plant is sprayed with settled water in the morning. Top dressing from May to September twice a month (one of them is an infusion of manure when diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 with the addition of potassium nitrate).

In winter, asparagus is kept in a cool, bright room, watered moderately. According to experts, if the temperature drops below 14 ° C, then the clod of earth should be almost dry. In February, when young shoots appear, watering is increased.

Too high temperature and lack of lighting can cause yellowing of "leaves" and shoots. If they begin to turn yellow or fall off, experts suggest cutting off the entire aboveground mass to the root system. Most species will shed their leaves if they are in direct sun for too long or the substrate is very dry.

Asparagus is more often propagated by dividing the bush with a sharp knife into two or more parts (at any time of the year, but preferably at the beginning of the growing season or at the time of transplantation), if possible, trying to preserve the root system as best as possible, as well as by seeds that are covered with a dense shell, therefore germinate only in a moist substrate.

The seeds are sown in light soil in early spring (February-March). Since they emerge in the dark, before the emergence of shoots, the ground after sowing is covered with a light-protective impenetrable material. They make sure that air access to the soil surface is maintained, and the ground does not become moldy, therefore, periodically (after 3-4 days) they are ventilated at a temperature of at least 20 ° C.

Seedlings usually appear in 3-4 weeks. When they get stronger, they are first dived into small containers (7-8 cm in diameter), later transplanted into 10-12 cm pots. Flowering and full fruiting begins at the 5-6 year of life of plants grown from seeds (by the way, asparagus fruits are very poisonous).

Of the 7-8 species common in indoor floriculture, pinnate asparagus (A.plumosus) and dense-flowered asparagus (A.denisiflorus) are of great interest.

The Latin name "plumosus" of asparagus plumose (bristly) means "feathered". It is associated with the similarity of its branches with a bird's feather. This is a climbing dwarf shrub with abundantly branching semi-lignified bare shoots, with thin open (horizontally arranged) twigs, densely covered with very thin filamentous claudia of a soft green tone, reminiscent of short needles (soft to the touch). They give the plant a state of airiness.

Outwardly, pinnate asparagus resembles a fern and gives the impression of an exceptionally graceful plant as if woven from magical yellowish-green openwork lace. It blooms with inconspicuous small (single or 2-3 pcs.) Greenish-white flowers, from which fruits can be set - red berries containing black seeds. This valuable climbing plant is kept for indoor landscaping mainly in hanging vases.

There are two varieties of this species: the finest pinnate asparagus (A.plumosus var.tenuissimus) differs from the main species in less branching and even thinner "leaves"; grows well in artificial light; by the way, it can reproduce by green shoots, which are used as cuttings, and dwarf asparagus pinnate (A.plumonus var.nana) - a reduced copy of the former.

It is believed that the spectacular semi-shrub old indoor culture asparagus bush is more beloved among flower growers than the previous species. At home, he climbs up the stems of erect plants, reaching several meters in length. Under indoor conditions, in a well-grown plant, falling semi-lignified shoots are noted, reaching a height of 1.5-2 m. The shoots are abundantly covered with large soft cladonias.

With good care, it blooms with graceful, fragrant white flowers, from which red berries with black seeds are then tied. As an ampelous culture, it is suitable for wall decoration and various arrangements in hanging vases; allows fluorescent lighting.

Asparagus asparagus (A.asparagoides) is much less common in indoor culture, although it is remarkable for its one and a half meter creeping shoots (with oval shiny "leaves" similar to the leaves of Tradescantia), which then need support.

Cut shoots of this asparagus retain their freshness for a long time, therefore they serve as a good addition when arranging bouquets and flower arrangements. Interestingly, the fruit of this species has an orange scent.

When keeping asparagus at home, certain problems associated with its diseases and pests can arise. Gray rot develops, as a rule, with mechanical damage to the shoots, on which the mycelium of this pathogen appears in a dark gray color. It is especially activated when the plant is strongly thickened. In order to combat, according to experts, it is necessary to carefully cut out the affected parts of the plant, and then treat it with a fungicide (for example, foundationazol - 2 g / l of water).

If there is an excess of moisture in the earthen coma for a long period, then browning and dying off of young shoots (root rot) is possible. It is worth removing such a plant from the soil substrate, and it will be seen that the root system is badly rotted. Of the harmful insects, you can find spider mites on asparagus, the worm (and much less often the scale insect), most often aphids, which, as a rule, populate mainly young shoots.

It is especially difficult for amateur flower growers to deal with coccids (scale insects and scale insects), since a large number of various plants are usually collected in their collections. With a weak population of asparagus, coccids can be eliminated without pesticides - using a toothbrush dipped in soapy water. But with a very high number of pests, asparagus are taken out of living quarters and sprayed with karbofos (10 g per 10 l of water). After a day (after airing), the plants can be brought into the room.

But it should be borne in mind that in most cases, asparagus does not tolerate chemical plant protection products well. In this regard, you should first try spraying with soapy water (based on liquid potassium soap, 20 g / l). If this technique turns out to be insufficient to destroy them, the treatment can be repeated (2 times in 7-8 days) by adding actellic (at the rate of 1-1.5 ml / l) to the above solution. And only then resort to karbofos.