Asparagus is a perennial plant belonging to the asparagus family.
It grows in various climatic zones, except for Antarctica.
The plant is grown both for decorative purposes and as an edible product.
In Africa, Asparagus is grown exclusively as a houseplant.
In Asia and Europe, it can be planted in open ground and grown as a vegetable crop, as the climatic conditions of these zones allow this completely.
The best varieties for cultivation in our region are: asparagus Meyer, asparagus cirrus and medicinal.
Asparagus: features of growing at home
Indoor asparagus is not like other plants in that its leaves lack the process of photosynthesis. Because of this, the flower has its own characteristics in growing.
To grow a flower, you should choose western or eastern windows. The air temperature in the room in the summer should not exceed 25 degrees. The ideal temperature in the spring is 21-23 degrees.
When indoor cultivation of asparagus, its flowering is practically not observed. When a plant blooms (which is extremely rare), small inflorescences of white color are formed. If you conduct artificial pollination, you can get poisonous fruits of a dark red color. The flower must be replanted annually, as it grows in size. It also needs to be propagated by dividing the plant into several parts. In the process of division, the roots should be carefully trimmed so as not to injure the plant.
Another feature of asparagus cultivation is the periodic spraying. If the plant is grown as a decorative indoor flower, then for its planting seeds are not previously prepared. Necessary soil mixture can be prepared independently. It is only necessary to mix such components as: vegetable humus, river sand and sifted turf land. Ready soil should be well moistened. Land with a planted plant should be provided with sufficient air access so that it does not sour. Also, do not forget about maintaining the temperature in the room, which averages eighteen degrees.
Young sprouts should be transplanted once a year, but an adult plant can be transplanted about two times in three years. Pots with indoor asparagus should be placed in partial shade to prevent burns from direct sunlight.
Planting and selection of planting material
To get strong and healthy plants, sowing asparagus seeds should be carried out in the month of March. The soil for planting is prepared from equal parts of peat and river sand. Before planting, the seeds must be thoroughly soaked and decontaminated. Disinfection is carried out by placing the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After that, they are placed in water and transferred to a warm place for four days. At the same time, the water in the container must be changed daily. Further, the seeds are planted in special boxes for seedlings to a depth of two centimeters. The soil for seedlings is prepared from humus, peat, sand and earth from the garden. After the first green sprouts appear in the boxes, the earth should be fertilized with mineral fertilizing.
When the seedlings reach a height of ten centimeters, you should dive seedlings. After the young seedlings get stronger, they are transplanted mono into flower pots. It is advisable to carry out a transplant in the month of June.
Home care for asparagus
Watering. For indoor asparagus it is preferable to water in a pan. When the plant goes through the growing season, it needs abundant watering. During the rest period, watering should be stopped a little, while not allowing the soil to dry out. Water for watering the flower should be soft, so it must be defended or softened with vinegar and citric acid. To increase the humidity near the flowerpot, a container of water must be placed next to it. Very effective is the bottom watering of the plant, in which excess water is removed from the pan within thirty minutes after watering.
The frequency of watering should be at least three times a week. Watering in the winter season is carried out in such a way that the land is constantly in the wet state.
Lighting. Since asparagus is a tropical plant, it is very demanding on bright lighting. But at the same time, it is undesirable to allow direct sunlight to hit the flower. If the room faces south, the flower needs to be shaded a bit, or placed away from the window. With intense lighting, the plant will develop better. If you plan to change the lighting conditions, then you need to do this gradually.
Top dressing. Caring for asparagus at home requires periodic feeding throughout the year. In spring and summer, top dressing should be done once a week. In the autumn season, the frequency of feeding is twice a month, and in winter - once a month. As fertilizers, it is necessary to use complex mineral fertilizers specially designed for indoor plants. Together with complex developments, organic feedings of low concentration can be alternated.
Pruning and transplanting. Pruning of home asparagus is carried out simultaneously with its transplant. On the flower, old shoots that have no leaves are removed. Thanks to this procedure, the growth of young shoots is activated. An annual plant transplant should be carried out until he is five years old. It is at this age that the root system ceases to actively develop and no longer requires frequent expansion of the area.
In the process of transplantation, the root system of the plant should also be trimmed. The bottom of the new flowerpot (into which the transplant takes place) is covered with a drainage layer, and then it is filled with nutritious soil mixtures of sand and light soil. After transplanting asparagus, it is necessary to carry out abundant watering, and after a week should be carried out the first feeding.
Why does asparagus die?
Sometimes, even careful care of asparagus at home, can not save the plant from death. After all, it is often exposed to various pests and diseases.
Shield. This is a pest that leaves sugary secretions on the plant. Also sometimes in the vicinity of plants you can see a sticky liquid on the window panes. Sick plants should be immediately separated from healthy ones, and places where flowerpots were previously located should be treated with an insecticide solution. The same solution can be applied to a cotton swab to remove the insect from the flower. Further, in order to conduct a complete struggle with young scale insects, the affected plant must be washed with soapy water using a brush.
Spider mite. It is a pest that feeds on the sap of the plant. When a flower is affected, it first changes its color, and the leaves gradually turn yellow and dry out. Also between the diseased leaves, a web begins to appear. The appearance of white spots on the flower already speaks of the first signs of its defeat. To get rid of the spider mite, it is necessary to wipe all the leaves with a soap solution (it is desirable that the soap is household).
Mealybugs. These are insects that are attached to the plant by the oral apparatus. If it is damaged, nests and wax threads appear in a bunch on the surface of the flower. Insects suck out all the juices from the plant and drain it, which can lead to the death of asparagus. In order to prevent the appearance of mealybugs, it is necessary to carry out some preventive actions. First of all, they consist in regular inspection of the flower. If yellow leaves appear on it, then they must be removed immediately. It is also necessary to periodically wash the leaves of the plant under warm running water.
Asparagus can also be susceptible to diseases that result from improper care of the flower at home. The main problem is the yellowing of the leaves. The reason for this can be both errors in care and a long time the flower is in the sun. As a result of this, the leaves of the plant could get burned. To prevent the death of the flower, it should be removed away from direct sunlight and ensure proper watering and humidity.
It happens that even without exposure to direct sunlight, yellow spots with brown edges appear on the leaves of the plant. In this case, leaf sprinkling may occur. This indicates insufficient lighting in the room, or an increased air temperature. In this case, the flower should be placed closer to the light and placed next to the container with cool water.
If asparagus dies, then this may be due to a violation of the irrigation regime. Most likely, he was too plentiful, which led to rotting of the roots.
