Hi folks I have this pretty little plant in filtered light. A) what is it B) the new growth is so leggy! Why? Should I clip new branches? Branches appear singular so I don't know if I should. Thanks
My asparagus grew like crazy. I had to cut it all the time without any harm to it. At the end, I had to get rid of it, because it was too messy with its sharp particles it was shedding all the time.
I think the legginess is just the plant doing what it would normally do -- they grow compactly for a little while, then start sending out long, scraggly bits. Not sure why. (Maybe to try to climb nearby plants of other species?) Both A setaceus (the one you have) and A. macowanii do this; I'm not sure about the others. Dividing the plant at the roots might set it back enough to make it stop for a while, but it's going to do this sooner or later no matter what. If it's a huge problem, you can cut off the long growth as it appears. EDIT: I may have misinterpreted the question to begin with. Though Asparagus setaceus will at some point start to produce leaves that are a meter long or more, in order to try to climb things, I can't tell from the photo if that's what's going on in this case. What, specifically, is "filtered light" in your situation, jaws4evr? What sources of light, how far away, for how long, etc. Also, had you moved it before this started happening, or has it been in this location for a long time?
Increase light levels to get denser foliage. Errm . . . since you say it isn't a fern, why do you say it is a fern? Be logical, and use a more accurate name instead of perpetuating misleading errors.
Michael F: Are you trolling? The common names are the common names. That they are frequently not botanically correct doesn't make them any less worth knowing.
No, just trying to be sensible about names. If a vernacular name is not botanically correct, don't use it, use an accurate one instead. Otherwise you just promote confusion and error, much to the delight of the creationists who use it to help their fight against science.
People are able to understand that names can refer to things without actually being those things. If the theory of evolution has survived gooseneck lamps (not literally made with the necks of geese, but with a flexible stand like the necks of geese), computer mice (not rodents, but having the approximate dimensions and "tail" of mice), and sawhorses (not horses, but being of similar shape and leg number), it will probably survive asparagus ferns (not ferns but possessing similar growth habit and leaf shape) too. This is especially the case since "asparagus fern" is used in actual published scientific papers, when authors need a common name for a plant. (Examples: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Do we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard of botanical accuracy than the phytopathologists, horticultural scientists, ecologists, and botanists?
Hi folks, asparagus fern it is! I've had the plant for around 6 months, and it took until two or so months ago before any new growth came at all. The new growth is very tall and less dense compared to the rest. As for light, it's in front of a east-ish facing window. However we are in calgary so the volume of light is low thus time of year. I don't mind trimming off new leaves if it will keep the plants next growth compact, but if this means I will end up cutting all new growth, then there's not much point. I'd try more light but in our house that's the brightest window I have unfortunately. I can put plant out in the summer but were months away from that. :)
If you've only had it six months, then it's almost certainly not trying to climb yet; it's either not getting enough light (in which case you could give it its own special artificial light) or it's just jumped up a level in terms of how large it can get, in which case there's nothing you need to do. So wait and see what it looks like in the summer. If the growth coming in winds up all being about the same size, you can leave it. If it's spindly and weak, you can either supplement the light now or cut off the stretched, pale growth later.
Hello! I have this exact same plant (and am also in Calgary... weird,) and it too will grow straight up at first, and then suddenly dip down and then the 'leaves'/'pins' will start growing. This will happen every other month or so. It seems your plant is behaving rather normal (or at least just like mine, and I've had mine for almost 4 years). There doesn't seem to be a need to clip it... at least I never have and it has happily continued to grow/thrive. Mine has gotten pretty large, so it sits on the corner of my bookshelf and hangs over (much like you would do with an ivy plant). Also, I have it beside an East-facing window in Calgary and it is more than happy where it is.
