I just became the proud new owner of a MASSIVE asparagus fern (inlaws moved and couldn't take it with them). I have NO CLUE how to care for these plants. It's got to be about 4.5 feet tall and insanely bushy. My questions are as follows; 1. Watering 2. Lighting 3. Clipping (It's far too big!) 4. Can I cut it up into smaller plants, like you can a dieffenbachia? 5. Does anyone in the Northern Interior of BC want some? LOL, seriously though...:) Any infor would be GREATLY appreciated! Amanda.
Hi Amanda, Congratulations on the addition to your household! Let the top dry out a bit and then water until the water runs through the drainage holes. Don't keep it wet. Indoors in bright light to full sun. Yes, just give it a haircut with sharp shears. Yes you can divide it, but not like dieffenbachia. You will have to take it out of the pot and cut up the rootball into halves or quarters. You may need a pruning saw or an old large knife. There are a few different popular asparagus ferns which really aren't ferns but members of the asparagus family. Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' is more feathery. http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week269.shtml Asparagus setaceus or Asparagus Fern. http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week153.shtml Asparagus densiflorus 'Meyerssi' - Foxtail fern http://mgonline.com/foxtailfern01.jpg Asparagus densiflorus 'Myriocladus' - Ming fern http://hflp.sdstate.edu/ho311/Indoor_images/Asparagus densiflorus Myrocladus.JPG http://hflp.sdstate.edu/ho311/Indoor_images/Asparagus densiflorus Myricladus close.JPG Newt
I apparently have this plant... had it since it was 1.5" tall back in 1995-ish (bought for $0.25)... I just redid the impromptu trellis I had it coiled up and thru (in a pot on a stand in an unused bathtub with a south facing window in Oregon), and, out of amusement, I untangled the stems (frons?) to see just how long it really was. Looks like the longer two are 35-40ft and 55-60ft respectively... Just how big can these plants get?? anyone know? Thanks! :)
Crizzly, Your plants sounds beautiful! Not usre how large they can get. Mine died years ago at a foot tall. Do you happen to have a photo of yours?
It's not the prettiest -- I did mention it's curled up next to basically my only south facing window here in the pacific northwest, so it's not like it is getting decent light... :) Nevertheless, here's a shot of it next to my coffee plant (bought same day at same place, it was maybe 3 inches tall, etc, etc...) - for some reason these two loved existence with me and have both gotten huge (albeit spindly)! The two long stems are coiled (now) and laid atop the zigzag strap. The not-as-long is coiled on the left, and the stupid long is coiled on the right. There are three other shoots, and they are now maybe 4-7ft with a new one around 9-10ft so far... the two shorter ones had long since been cut back as they had dried up and died off at the ends, but the newest shoot is the single line closest to the window in the back (and the darkest green coming form the right side of the pot). I've had no heat the last couple winters, save the space heater in my bedroom (got laid off, and furnace went on fritz that winter - still out of work...), so I suspect the winter lows of 40F [inside the house] has taken it's toll on the plants as well... I've never seen that flower, but I hear some varieties can/do if the light is just right... My 5ft coffee plant has a few beans on it the last couple years, and for some reason, the third plant I bought that day (in '95-ish) was a dracaena that was the first to flower once it too had grown from it's 2" pot into the [at the time] 3ft tower... after the flowering (which stank up the house for a week), it split into a pair of cylinders at that height and grew to 4 and 5 ft now. It stopped growing fast, and instead shot out three new towers in a triangle around the base, each of which is now 2.5 ft, so I suspect to see [smell] flowers on those in the next year or two as well... Alright, I'm rambling.. been a long weekend and I should sleep early tonite.. Cheers!
That IS tall!!! Do you think if you cut if halfway back and put the pot closer to the window of even with it it would fill out again? Mine would lose a lot of needles with just a brush by the plant, some were green, others brown and dry, although new shoots would grow, it made a mess. It was getting bright light and some sun at about ten feet from the window, and the soil was always a little on the moist side, but it still seemed a bit un -happy. I'm not sure what the secret is for this plant, maybe more humidity.
Crizzly, wow, that's really cool! I love the trellis. Bluewing, I suspect your asparagus fern was a different variety. I once grew Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' and it always seemed to have yellow leaves that made a mess no matter what I did. Newt
Hi Newt, The soft feeling asparagus setaceus like the one above is the one I had. I also had the Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' that shed yellow needles all over from time to time.That thing broke out of it's clay pot one time, leaving the pot in three or four pieces. Strong root system!
