Houseplant asparagus (Asparagus) is unpretentious, and therefore widespread in home floriculture. There are several hundred species of asparagus, but Asparagus densiflorus is the most popular. Houseplant asparagus is not only a decoration for your window sill, but also a great addition to your bouquets.
How to care for asparagus, and how this plant is used, you will learn below. You will also receive recommendations for plant transplantation.
Types of indoor flower asparagus
Family: Asparagus, photophilous, shade-tolerant, moisture-loving.
The genus unites about 300 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs and lianas.
Indoor flower asparagus densely flowered, or Sprenger’s asparagus (Asparagus densiflorus, or Asparagus sprengeri) is the most stable species in home culture, most widely used in amateur floriculture.
In the wild, it is a climbing shrub, in cultivation it is a perennial herbaceous plant with abundantly branching flexible shoots (up to 1.5 m long), smooth or furrowed, densely covered with awl-shaped scales 2-4 mm long (reduced leaves).
Flattened stems look like leaves – phylloclades – straight or slightly curved, up to 3 cm long, located singly or in bunches of 2-4 pieces.
Small fragrant flowers are white or light pink. After them, red one-seeded berries are formed.
The sickle-shaped asparagus plant (Asparagus falcatus) is characterized by rapid growth, the shoots of which bear many sickle-shaped “leaves” – phylloclades (up to 5 cm long and about 2.5 cm wide, with a corrugated edge). It, as the most cold-resistant of all types, can be used for landscaping glazed loggias and verandas.
Asparagus plumosus (Asparagus plumosus) looks very openwork. Its bright green modified stems, similar to filamentous leaves, themselves seem to glow on a sunny day. This species can be grown both as an ampelous plant and as a plant on a support, creating beautiful screens or partitions.
Asparagus houseplant care
For placement, they choose a place with bright diffused lighting, but the culture can also adapt to the lack of light. In a bright room, asparagus grows larger and more magnificent than in a shaded one. In winter, when caring for asparagus, it is desirable to provide a cool content (at a temperature of + 10 + 14 ° C).
Asparagus is watered abundantly in summer, sprayed daily. In winter, when kept in a cool room, the soil in the container is kept only slightly moist, and spraying is stopped.
Top dressing in the warm season is carried out weekly, if possible, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers.
Asparagus indoor flower transplant
Asparagus is transplanted annually in the spring, adults – once every 2-3 years, as the earthen coma is braided with roots. For asparagus, a soil mixture of soddy soil, compost, peat and sand (2: 1: 1: 0.5) is suitable. Propagated by dividing the bush during transplantation.
Uses of asparagus
The use of asparagus in winter is an addition to bouquets. To do this, cut green branches and decorate flowers with them. And it will be useful for the plant itself, as pruning stimulates the growth of young shoots.
Asparagus is a good humidifier. Due to the huge number of small “leaves” it retains a large amount of dust. The ability of asparagus to retain and neutralize particles of heavy metals was noted.
This plant enriches room air with oxygen and air ions. Cheerful color, small delicate foliage, smooth “flowing” lines of asparagus have a generally calming effect, improve well-being, promote relaxation.