Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing the right environment
• Part 2 of 3: Growing the plant
• Part 3 of 3: Maintaining the plant
• Tips
• Warnings

The ornamental asparagus ("Asparagus sprengeri") is a common and fast growing houseplant that is part of the lily family. It has fine needle-like leaves and overhanging stems that can grow up to a meter in length. Adult specimens have white or pink flowers and berries that are inedible. To take good care of an ornamental asparagus, you need to create the right environment, propagate the plant and maintain it regularly.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the right environment

1. Choose a good location. Ornamental asparagus can be kept both indoors and outdoors. It's up to you to plant them in a pot, hang them outside, or plant them directly in the ground. Make sure to choose an open area so that the plant has plenty of room to grow.
   • Choose a site with 1.2 meters in height and 90 centimeters in width to allow it to grow.
   • Think carefully about the location, as moving an ornamental asparagus from the inside out can be a traumatic experience for the plant. If you want to change places, move the plant gradually over the course of two to three weeks. Start by moving the plant to a shady spot, such as a patio or under a tree. Then take the plant to a place where there is more sunlight. Finally put the plant outside in the chosen spot.
2. Find a place with an average temperature. This plant needs a temperature between 10-24 ° C during the day. The temperature at night should remain between 10-18 ° C. Choose a place where the room temperature remains constant.
   • Ornamental asparagus can grow in places with moist or dry air, but they prefer moist air.
   • To provide moist air, you can place a humidifier in an adjacent room.
3. Choose a place with good lighting. This plant will grow best in bright but indirect sunlight. It should not be put in full sun. Too much direct sunlight will burn the needles and cause them to fall off.
   • You will know that the plant is not getting enough sunlight when the needles start to turn yellow.
   • Plant in a location that benefits from the morning sun.
4. Find a slightly acidic soil. Ornamental asparagus thrive in soil that is rich, light and slightly acidic. The soil must also be well-drained. Add peat moss to the soil or buy a peat moss-based plant mix. Sphagnum moss is the partially decayed remnants of mosses that contribute to the correct soil conditions for this plant.
   • Your soil is well-drained if the water seeps through it easily. You can check this by digging a hole in the ground, filling it with water and letting it drain. The soil is well-drained when the water drops about an inch to an inch per hour.

Part 2 of 3: Growing the plant

1. Propagate the plant. You can grow from seed or by dividing the roots. If growing from seed, plant the seeds 1.2 cm deep in the container and leave on a warm, sunny windowsill for about four weeks. However, propagation by division is a faster and easier method. This should be done in the early spring.
   • To propagate by dividing, cut the root ball in half or in quarters with a knife and transplant into separate smaller pots. Another option is to pull the tubers apart manually. By manually pulling the tubers apart, you ensure that they are divided in a more natural way than with scissors. The tubers should be transplanted into separate pots.
   • You can separate the good and bad seeds by putting them in a bucket full of warm water and let them sit for a few days. The bad seeds will float on the surface of the water and the good seeds will sink to the bottom.
2. Plant the seeds. Plant your seeds in a pot or in the ground, depending on what you have in mind. To plant them, dig a hole in the ground twice the size of the seeds you are planting. Then cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. You don't have to worry about planting and watering the seeds if you choose to plant the tubers instead.
   • Plant seeds that are 30 mm in size, for example, require 60 mm of space in the ground.
3. Water the seeds. You must water the seeds thoroughly immediately after planting. The seedlings should start growing in a week or two. During this period, you need to constantly water the seedlings. You need to water whenever the soil is dry.
   • If you have planted the tubers, you should also water them immediately after planting. Water once a day and whenever the soil is dry.
   • In warm weather, it may be necessary to water twice a day.

Part 3 of 3: Maintaining the plant

1. Add fertilizers to your ornamental asparagus. You have to buy a soluble (liquid) universal fertilizer. Make sure to dilute the fertilizer by half. During the growing period, from March to August, fertilize every three to four weeks. After that, once a month is sufficient.
   • Water soluble fertilizers are usually in liquid or powder form. Powdered fertilizers must be mixed with water. You can use a watering can or the end of a garden hose to use them. Spray or pour the fertilizer onto the soil until it is saturated, but not drowning.
2. Water the plant regularly. Once the seedlings have grown into a plant, you will have to water them regularly. Ornamental asparagus can survive periods of drought, but you should water them whenever the soil is dry. You can water less during the winter.
   • During the winter you can water the plant once a week. Due to the heat in the summer, the soil dries up faster. The soil does not dry up so quickly in winter. You should water more than once a week if you live in a climate with warm winters.
   • Before watering, let half of the soil dry out and watch for when the leaves start to turn light green. Yellow leaves are a sign of too little water and brown leaves mean that the plant is getting too much water.
3. Prune the plant. Pruning creates new growth and keeps the plant tidy. You need to prune the stems every spring. Old or dead stems will look dry and withered and will not produce new growth. Prune any stems that are protruding too much or that appear dry or dead. Make sure to wear gloves to avoid being scratched by the "needles" on the stem.
   • Scissors and pruning shears are ideal. You don't need anything bigger.
   • At this point the plant will develop white flowers and red berries. Know that the red berries that accompany the flowers are poisonous! Don't eat them!
4. Transplant during the spring. If you have planted the plant in a pot, then you will need to transplant it once a year in the spring. Move your plant to a pot one turn larger than the previous one. Ornamental asparagus grow quickly and by transplanting them you give them the opportunity to grow freely and without damage.
   • If the plant grows over the pot, you can transplant it several times a year.
   • The roots of the plant can sometimes push the soil out of the pot. Keep the soil 2.5-5 inches from the edge of the pot.
5. Address pest problems. Ornamental asparagus rarely deal with large insects or diseases that can kill them, so there is no need to spray them. It is better to use an insecticidal soap instead of insecticide. This plant sometimes suffers from spider mites, scale insects and mealybugs. However, this is only a problem when you move the plant from the outside to the inside.
   • Check the plant before moving it from indoors to outdoors. If the infestation is too great, you can cut the stem to the soil surface. New stems will grow.
   • Pruning the branches should solve the pest problem. If possible, try not to spray. Spraying can kill both beneficial and harmful insects.

Tips

• Ornamental asparagus look beautiful in hanging baskets and in large pots on small tables or pedestals.
• This type of plant provides good ground cover when planted in groups.
• The ornamental asparagus is a good choice for beginners or those who don't want to spend too much time caring for a plant.

Warnings

• This plant grows quickly. That is why it was declared a weed in Florida, Hawaii and New Zealand. Keep it in check.
• The plant can cause a rash. Be careful when working on it and use gloves as often as possible.
• The ornamental asparagus has thorns. Wear gloves when handling thorns and needles.
• Keep this plant away from children and pets as it is poisonous if swallowed.