Asparagus - home care, photo species

Asparagus (Asparagus) - an inedible perennial evergreen from the genus Asparagus, has long been popular with lovers of indoor floriculture. Wild ancestors grow in Africa and the Eurasian continent. Openwork carved greenery of light spring shades of the flower looks elegant and decorative.

Small branches - cladodes, have the appearance of thin needles, grow in bunches on shoots and are comparable in beauty to conifers, for which asparagus is often mistaken for uninformed people.

It is grown in the form of a bush or creeper, depending on the variety. The length of the vine can reach one and a half meters. The root is powerful and long, rod-shaped, inconspicuous flowers of pink or white color are collected in discreet inflorescences. Fruits ripening after flowering can be used for propagation.

Attention! The plant contains poison, contact with young children and animals can end in failure.

Useful properties of asparagus

The most studied, for use as a medical raw material, is asparagus pharmacy, it is often used in traditional medicine for:

• relief of migraine attacks;
• treatment of inflammatory processes in the urinary system;
• lowering blood pressure;
• excretion of cholesterol, toxins and harmful toxins from the body.

Asparagus also contains many vitamins, amino acids and mineral salts.

Home care for asparagus (briefly)

It is not difficult to grow asparagus at home, the plant has a powerful rhizome, which can tolerate short drought and insufficient lighting in the winter. Indoor is most easily cultivated species of African origin.

The decorativeness, healthy and well-groomed appearance of the plant is influenced by such factors as:

Care for asparagus at home. In detail

Flowering asparagus

In indoor conditions, asparagus blooms very rarely; for this, the most appropriate balance of temperature, humidity and light should form. Flowers - small, nondescript and not very decorative, are located at the top of the shoot.

If you wish, you can try to pollinate them artificially, using a soft brush. Fruits - berries of bright color look very decorative, decorating the plant after ripening. It must be remembered that these fruits are poisonous.
Temperature mode

The most comfortable temperature for asparagus at home, lies in the range from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.

A long period of temperature increase will adversely affect the health and appearance of the plant - cladodias will turn yellow and fall, possibly drying out whole shoots. In the summer hot season, it is best to move the plant from the hot windowsill to a cooler place - to the balcony or even to the garden, placing it in partial shade.

In winter, it is recommended to keep asparagus in a well-lit place with a temperature of 15-18 degrees - the plant needs a period of winter dormancy.

Spraying

The asparagus flower loves spraying and gratefully answers the owner for caring care and refreshing baths, forming lush shoots of bright color. Especially likes asparagus spraying with warm water on hot summer days, it is recommended to perform such manipulations several times during the day. You can increase the humidity in the room by placing a pot with a plant on a tray with wet moss or expanded clay.
Lighting

At home, asparagus flower is grown on western or eastern windows, or near the southern window, preventing direct sunlight from entering the plant.

Lighting should be bright, but no frills - the scorching sun at noon can destroy the flower.

With the onset of summer, you can gradually accustom the plant to the content in the open air, near an open window or on a balcony, loggia, in the garden, but be sure to protect it from rain and direct sunlight. In addition, asparagus is contraindicated in a draft.

Watering

Watering is very important for a plentiful increase in green mass during the summer vegetation. The soil in the pot should not completely dry out during this hot time.

If possible, it is best to irrigate by immersing the pot with asparagus for half an hour in a container of water for half an hour. After half an hour, the pot is removed from the liquid and placed in a expanded clay tray to drain excess moisture.

Winter watering is significantly different from summer, the plant needs a dormant period. Water the plant at this time a couple of times a week moderately, only after the earth coma has completely dried.

Asparagus pot

The roots of the plant are powerful and long, respectively, the pot should be spacious, preferably ceramic, without glaze, as the root must breathe, and provides an inflow of oxygen to the roots of the best-burned clay.

It’s good if the pot is tall - An additional layer of drainage at the bottom will avoid root decay.

Soil for asparagus

Representatives of the Sparzhevs family are not demanding on the composition of the soil, so a simple universal soil mixture from the nearest store or ordinary turf land from the forest with a quarter of coarse sand and a small amount of humus is quite suitable.

You can also use a professional soil mixture for ferns. Drainage in an asparagus pot should occupy at least a third of the volume. Expanded clay, small pebbles, broken brick or shards from an old pot can be used as drainage.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

For a home plant called "asparagus" home care implies mandatory regular fertilizing. In spring and summer, when the plant grows abundantly in green mass, nutrients are applied at least twice a month.

For these purposes, you can use complex fertilizers for decorative and deciduous indoor plants and treat your pet with nitrogen-containing additives, if the plant stands in a brightly lit room or outdoors.

The winter dormancy of the flower is very arbitrary, even in cool and inadequate lighting, the plant continues to grow slowly, therefore, in winter, top dressing is necessary, although in a greatly reduced version - a half dose no more than once a month.

Home asparagus is very responsive to the introduction of organic matter in the upper layers of the soil, the main thing is not to overdo it with fertilizer, otherwise the stems of the plant will be very long.

Transplantation of asparagus

The plant will have to be transplanted at least once a year until it reaches five years of age, and subsequently - once every three to four years with the division of the bush. The best time for transplanting is spring, when the plant enters the period of active vegetation, this will accelerate survival, ease stress and the recovery process.

Plant transplantation is carried out as follows:

1. Prepare a new pot - lay a layer of drainage on the bottom and sprinkle it with a layer of soil mixture.
2. Thoroughly spill the flower with water until the earthen coma is well saturated and carefully remove from the old container. Lightly shake the ground from the roots, if necessary, divide the bush into several parts, cutting an earthen ball with a sharp knife. Sprinkle wounds on the roots and shoots with crushed charcoal. Scissors remove old and yellowed shoots, cutting them at the base.
3. Place the plant in a new pot so that it does not penetrate, the point of growth of the stems should remain at the same level, add soil only under the plant and from the sides, slightly tamp.
4. Water and put for a couple of weeks in a cool place with moderate lighting.

During this period, it is necessary to carefully monitor the watering - to prevent drying out and waterlogging.

Pruning

Most often, asparagus is grown as a plant with hanging vines, so this flower does not need a pruning pruning. Pruning is done only as a sanitary and anti-aging operation - old shoots, yellowed and dying branches are removed.

During the transplant, you can trim all the old branches and completely rejuvenate the plant.

Rest period

Such a period in asparagus begins in winter, with a decrease in the duration of daylight hours and a decrease in room temperature. The plant is slowly gaining green mass and does not need frequent feeding and plentiful watering.

It is recommended to reduce fertilizer application to once a month and water moderately after drying out an earthen coma.

Reproduction of asparagus

Florists use three types of reproduction of asparagus:

Propagation of asparagus by cuttings

Propagation by cuttings - shoots with a length of at least 15 cm are used. Cut adult shoots are planted in a container with wet sand and covered with a transparent bag. The structure is placed in a bright place with a temperature not exceeding 22 degrees Celsius, regular ventilation and humidification are carried out. After a month, the plant that has taken root is transplanted to a permanent place.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

Reproduction by dividing the bush is the easiest and fastest way. The bush when transplanted with a sharp knife is divided into parts and each part is planted in a separate pot.

Growing asparagus from seeds

The best time to sow seeds is, of course, early spring. Seeds - purchased in a store or obtained from fruits, are soaked for two days by placing them in a damp piece of cloth. After swelling, place in a container with moist earth and lightly sprinkle on top. After that, cover with a transparent lid or bag and place on a warm, well-lit window sill. Ventilate and moisten the soil regularly. After emergence of shoots cover is removed. Seedlings are transplanted after they reach a growth of ten centimeters.

Diseases and Pests

Asparagus, the plant is unpretentious, therefore, with good care, the plant is practically not susceptible to various diseases. Only disturbances in agricultural technology can cause the disease, it is worth eliminating the cause and the plant quickly restores lush greenery and health.

The causes causing changes in the appearance of plants:

• Asparagus leaves turn yellow and crumble - irregularities in watering, scarcity of lighting, high temperature, lack of organic matter.
• Brown spots on the shoots - this is possible only with a severe burn in direct sunlight.
• Leaves became pale, stems long and weak - lack of lighting or an excess of nitrogen fertilizing.
• Asparagus will fade - most likely root rot from excess moisture. Need an urgent transplant with a complete audit of the roots.

Also, all these signs can be witnesses of an attack on a weakened plant of pests: spider mites, thrips or scale insects. You can overcome all these pests in a simple way - to dilute in a bucket a bag or pill "Intavira", bathe the plant with your head. For very long vines - put in a bath and spray thoroughly.

Types of home asparagus with photos and names

Carapace or bristle asparagus

A compact plant with shoots up to a meter long can be formed in ampel form. Rigid cladodes give the flower an openwork and sophisticated appearance; a big-leafed branch resembles a fern. The fruit is a berry, black in color with a purple tint. Originally from the African continent.

Sprenger asparagus or densely flowered

Native South African. Creeping perennial with vines up to one and a half meters long. The fruit is a red berry, often popularly referred to as Ethiopian asparagus.

Asparagus Meyer

Very beautiful flower with unusual shoots in the form of a long spindle, elegant and delicate. Shoots seem fluffy and soft. Fruits are red berries.

Crescent Asparagus

Under natural conditions, the length of the vines reaches 15 meters and a diameter of a centimeter. The thorns on the stems hold the plant perfectly on the support. Color - dark green, saturated. Sickle-shaped cladodias are long, up to 10 centimeters.

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