Asparagus - home care and reproduction

Some indoor plant lovers have a question: what is asparagus? It is called asparagus because the flower is part of the Asparagus family. There are about 300 species in total. The plant does not need careful care, for which it has earned the sympathy of flower growers. Knowing what asparagus care at home requires, you can make it an unusual decor element. It is worth understanding what asparagus is, how to care for it, and how the plant reproduces.

General information

The asparagus flower is a perennial plant that looks like shrubs or shoots growing from the ground. The height of the stems can reach from 120 to 160 cm. The leaves are green, soft to the touch, resembling a herringbone in appearance.

Asparagus is an unpretentious flower that grows at home or in the garden

The plant is called by various names: asparagus or asparagus. These are synonyms, but the first name more often refers to a vegetable grown in the garden, and the second to a houseplant.

Almost all home-grown plant species are native to South Africa, where there is a clear division of the seasonal rhythm. For this reason, the flower is no stranger to low temperatures and reduced watering intensity in winter. Some species shed the aerial part in order to sprout new shoots in the spring.

In the wild, asparagus asparagus is found in Europe and India.

As a houseplant, pyramidal and feathery asparagus are most often grown. The first is similar in appearance to a juniper. It will look appropriate both in the home and in the office.

The plumose flower has thin and reduced leaves that resemble small scales. Another name for setaceus asparagus is a brushy robot.

The feathery asparagus is similar to the juniper

It takes a lot of effort to make the plant bloom. If flowering has begun, artificial pollination can be performed. To do this, using a soft brush, take pollen from one flower and gently transfer it to another. As a result, fruits will appear that look like berries of a deep red color.

Cooking applications

Young shoots of asparagus are used in cooking. They can be of different colors: white, purple, pink or green. Vegetable culture brings many benefits, it contains a large amount of useful trace elements, folic acid, selenium, choline, niacin, vitamins C, K, E, A, B.

Asparagus is found in many recipes

Young shoots are taken for cooking. You can perform any culinary manipulations with them: canning, baking, frying, stewing, boiling. Asparagus is excellent for preparing side dishes, cooking soups, and making desserts. It goes well with meat, game, poultry, fish and seafood.

Care features

If you properly care for indoor asparagus, it will delight the eye with an attractive appearance. To obtain a healthy and beautiful plant, it is necessary to observe the required temperature, illumination, humidity, use the correct soil and top dressing.

Temperature regime

Care for asparagus should not be too serious, but you cannot keep it in the heat for a long time.The optimum temperature is between 22 and 24 degrees. If in winter the room where the houseplant is located is above 15 degrees, its leaves will begin to fall off. In case of such a problem, dried shoots must be cut off.

Lighting

For asparagus, grooming involves a lot of light, but direct sunlight should not hit the leaf. If there is room for a flower only in the south side of the room, put it further from the window opening. In summer, the plant can be placed outside, but away from the midday sun, drafts and precipitation.

Watering

Watering the plant should not be taken carelessly. Asparagus does not tolerate excessively wet or dry ground. For this reason, a middle ground should be found: the top layer of open ground should dry out, the rest of the ground should remain moist.

During the period of active growth (spring and summer), regular watering should be ensured, as a result of which the soil will not dry out.

Watering a flower should not be taken lightly.

In winter, the frequency of water supply should be reduced. To moisturize, the water must be warm. In some cases, flower growers use bottom irrigation (water flows only through the sump).

Spraying

Spraying with useful components is necessary during the active period of plant growth. For a bright color of the crown of a flower, a growth stimulation solution called Bud is suitable. The product is diluted in the following proportions: 1 g per 1 liter.

During the heating season, asparagus should be sprayed with lukewarm water. This is necessary so that the plant receives enough moisture and does not dry out.

Humidity

When growing indoor asparagus, it is necessary to regularly humidify the air with a spray. The best time for this is morning or early evening (before the sun has set). The air humidity is increased not only with the help of a spray bottle. Moistened sphagnum or expanded clay is poured into the pallet. A pot with a plant is placed on top of it.

Priming

It is not necessary to carefully select the composition of the soil for the asparagus plant. For planting and replanting, a soil mixture for ferns or slightly acidic universal soil is suitable. To improve the conductivity of moisture, coarse sand is added to ready-made commercial mixtures.

For better flowering, a specially prepared substrate is suitable. It's easy to do it yourself. Mix 1 part of humus, sod and leafy soil and half the volume of coarse sand (1 * 1 * 1 * 0.5). To prevent stagnation in the root system of water, drainage is used, which should take up a third of the total volume of the pot. Drainage mix is ​​sold in flower shops or used broken bricks, foam balls, small pebbles, or clay shards.

Top dressing

Before growing asparagus at home, you need to take into account that the plant should be fed throughout the year. In winter, feeding is performed infrequently: once every 28-30 days, in the fall, once every 14 days, in spring and summer - once every 7 days. They choose ready-made mineral fertilizers that can be purchased at every store. They are alternated with organic feedings.

The plant is provided with regular feeding

The mixture should be lightly concentrated. Excessive amounts of nutrients will not benefit the plant.

In winter time

In winter, asparagus flowers do not need an unnecessarily warm room. The approximate air temperature should range from 15 to 16 degrees. The plant is extremely negative about a sharp increase in temperature.

Watering during the heating season should be done regularly. This procedure is not necessary if the flower is kept in a cool room.

Pruning

Targeted pruning is not necessary to form the crown.If you cut off a healthy branch, it will stop curling and may soon die. There will only be harm from such pruning. Only old and yellowed stems can be removed. When such an action is taken during transplantation, the plant will receive an impetus for the formation of young growth and maintenance of the decorative appearance of the plant.

Reproduction of asparagus

To perform asparagus reproduction, 3 methods are used:

1. Planting seeds;
2. Division of the rhizome;
3. Use of cuttings.

From seed

Growing asparagus from seeds is easy. You can buy them in the store or get them at home. This will require artificial pollination. Seeds are sown immediately after harvest: January - March.

Asparagus can be propagated by seed

Do the following:

• the seed is soaked in water at room temperature for 48 hours;
• each seed is sown shallowly into a mixture of peat and sand;
• cover the container with glass or polyethylene;
• the resulting mini-greenhouse is ventilated from time to time and the soil is moistened;
• seedlings should appear in about a month, until this time the seeds should be kept in the shade at a temperature of 20 to 22 degrees;
• when shoots appear, you can transfer the plants to a brighter place, but not in direct sunlight;
• as soon as the crops reach 10 cm in height, they should be rooted in separate pots with a substrate, after which they provide the same care as for an adult plant.

Rhizome division

The division of the rhizome can be called the classic method of plant rejuvenation and reproduction. It is the simplest and easiest to combine with transplants:

1. The root ball of the flower is divided into several parts.
2. At the root, shoots are removed, which begin to rot.
3. The slices on the roots are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon.
4. Each part should be planted in a separate pot and the flower should be looked after in the same way as with a normal transplant.

Cuttings

In order for asparagus to reproduce in this way, it is necessary to take only young shoots, which reach a length of about 15 cm. Raw materials for grafting should be prepared in the first months of spring.

The process should be phased:

• planting last year's cuttings in wet sand and covered with polyethylene;
• the covered containers are placed in a bright place, the temperature of which should not be higher than 21 degrees;
• periodically obtained greenhouse must be ventilated and humidified;
• rooting occurs in about a month;
• after that, the plant is planted in the ground.

The plant can be propagated in several ways. Everyone chooses the option that best suits them.

Possible growing problems

With improper care of the plant, many problems can arise:

1. The stems stopped growing after pruning. The plant has a feature in which cut shoots stop growing.
2. Falling foliage. This problem can occur as a result of direct sunlight on the leaves or due to dry air. A too dark place can also provoke shedding of the plant.
3. The appearance of specks on foliage. The plant shows a negative reaction to direct sun exposure. It is because of him that small spots may appear on the leaves, which are sunburn. Due to the bright sun, yellowing of the edges of each leaf can be observed.
4. Pests. Sometimes asparagus can be attacked by harmful insects. Most often, the plant is attacked by a spider mite. Experts do not recommend using chemicals for spraying, as the flower reacts negatively to them. It is better to use folk methods that can be no less effective than chemistry.

Often, amateur flower growers have a question: why does asparagus turn yellow and crumble what to do.

There may be several reasons:

• overdried soil;
• low indoor humidity;
• excessive watering;
• lack of light or its excess;
• filling the pot with roots;
• high temperature in the room.

If the plant begins to look sick, a number of actions should be taken: adjust the watering regime, put the pot in a more or less illuminated place, increase or decrease the humidity.

Most often, the flower is attacked by a spider mite.

Asparagus is an unpretentious plant, but even it requires care. Some types of flower can be eaten. Delicious dishes are made from asparagus, which are perfectly combined with meat and fish. In the office or at home, the plant will be an excellent decoration for the room.

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