Asparagus is a perennial plant with soft, narrow leaves. From afar, leaflets can be taken for needles, but they have nothing to do with thorns. Although it can bloom, it is valued precisely for openwork foliage. The plant belongs to the family Asparagus. Some species are indeed edible, like the notorious asparagus, but decorative varieties are more popular in culture. They are distributed throughout the globe, in various climatic zones. Homeland of certain species of asparagus is Western Europe, USA, India, Japan, Egypt. In our country, the plant is common in indoor culture. With proper care, asparagus forms dense green thickets.
Plant description
Asparagus is a perennial evergreen in the form of a shrub or creeper. The developed rhizome goes deep into the soil. First, an underground powerful shoot is formed from the kidney, and only then a bunch of terrestrial processes grows from it. The plant has soft grassy stems. Flexible green shoots up to 1.5 m long take an active part in photosynthesis. They are covered with scaly, often poorly developed, leaflets. What ordinary people mistake for narrow foliage is actually short needle-shaped twigs (treasuries). They grow in bunches on a longer sprout. At the base of the treasures, one can consider rigid scaly leaves with hard spurs.
Flowers on young shoots bloom alone or in small corymbose inflorescences. Indoors, flowering is extremely rare. Flowers grow in the axils of the leaves. A symmetrical nimbus is bisexual or same-sex. It consists of six small petals growing in 2 tiers and the same number of filamentous stamens. The three-nested ovary in the center of the flower has a short column with a stigma. When the flowers fade, small rounded berries with small seeds ripen. Juicy flesh is hidden under a thin red skin.
Asparagus berries are inedible! Like shoots, they are poisonous, so children and animals are better off not approaching the plant.
Varieties of Asparagus
The genus of asparagus is very diverse and numerous. It includes more than 200 species of plants.
Cirrus asparagus (plumezus). The inhabitant of the subtropical and tropical forests of Africa grows in the form of a shrub with curly shoots. Strongly branched bare stems are covered with scaly triangular foliage up to 5 mm long. Threadlike shoots (phyllocladius) 5-15 mm long grow in groups of 3-12 pieces. Thanks to the lateral processes in the horizontal plane, a separate shoot resembles a multiple-cut leaf of a fern. Small white flowers bloom individually. After pollination, blue-black berries with 1-3 seeds ripen.
Asparagus Meyer. The shrub grows single shoots up to 50 cm long. They are densely pubescent and covered over the entire length with bright green clodes, similar to needles. The shoots grow in all directions. Outwardly, each shoot resembles a fluffy brush.
Asparagus Sprenger (densely flowered). A creeping shrub lives on the humid mountain slopes of South Africa. Bare branched stems sink to the ground and grow up to 1.5 m in length. Subulate scaly leaves up to 4 mm long surround bundles of 2-4 straight or curved phyllocladies up to 3 cm in length. Soft pink or white flowers with a pleasant aroma are collected in loose corymbose inflorescences. After pollination, red round berries ripen.
Asparagus crescent (falcate). Lian-like variety grows flexible stems up to 15 m long and up to 1 cm thick. Under indoor conditions, the length of the liana does not exceed 4 m. Large processes in the shape of a sickle, about 8 cm long, are located on the shoots at a great distance from each other. The plant tolerates pruning better than others and forms lateral processes. It blooms in loose fragrant panicles with small creamy flowers.
Asparagus officinalis (ordinary). The temperate climate originates from North Africa. Its grassy shoots grow by 30-150 cm. The smooth surface of the process is covered with bunches of filamentous claddings. At their base, scaly leaves with spurs grow.
The asparagus is pyramidal. Shoots on a shrub with a height of 50-150 cm grow vertically. They are densely covered with short dark green phyllocladies, which are located in one plane. Although the leaves are soft to the touch, from a distance they can be mistaken for juniper.
Breeding methods
At home, asparagus is propagated by seeds, cuttings and division of the rhizome. Seeds are extracted from ripened berries and immediately sown in pots with loose, fertile soil. They are sprinkled with a thin layer of earth, watered and put in a warm, lit place. To prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly, cover the container with a film. After 2-3 weeks, seedlings appear. The film is removed, but the soil is regularly sprayed. When the stems grow 7-10 cm long, the seedlings dive. Initially, plants develop slowly, but gradually grow into a lush green cloud.
Cuttings 8-10 cm long are cut in the spring. They are rooted in wet sand under a clear cover. It is necessary to contain plants with ambient light and a temperature of + 20 ... + 23 ° C. Daily seedlings are aired and sprayed. The stem will be properly rooted and adapted in 1-1.5 months, then the shelter is removed and the asparagus is transplanted into the soil.
In the spring, during a transplant, a large bush can be divided. The lateral processes with their own roots are usually cut off. They are planted in separate small pots.
Planting and plant care
The roots and stems of asparagus grow quickly, so they transplant the flower annually. The best time for manipulation is the beginning of spring. The rhizome is removed from the pot, the old earth is removed and part of the underground processes is cut off. Old branches are also deleted. Soon young shoots will appear. The pot should be spacious enough, because sometimes tight containers even burst under the pressure of rhizomes. The soil for planting is selected weakly acidic, loose and nutritious. It can be composed of such components:
- sheet soil;
- turf soil;
- sand.
Lighting. In nature, asparagus grows in the shade of tropical trees, so it will dry under direct sunlight. The light should be bright, but diffused. In a dark room, cladodias become yellowish and faded. The pot is placed deep in the south room or on the windowsill of the east (west) window. There will be little light in the northern room and you will have to use the backlight.
Temperature. In good light, the optimum air temperature is + 20 ... + 24 ° C. In a hot summer, it is useful to take the flower outside to a place shaded and protected from strong winds. If this is not possible, the room is often aired. In winter, with a short daylight, cooling to + 10 ° C will not allow the shoots to stretch very much.
Humidity. Asparagus can grow with normal humidity, but will be grateful for regular spraying and bathing. A warm shower removes dust and prevents parasites.
Watering. It is necessary to water asparagus often and plentifully. Water is well defended to get rid of chlorine. The earth should not dry out even on the surface, but stagnation of water is not allowed. With a lack of fluid in the soil, the leaves of the asparagus turn yellow and fall off. When the temperature drops, watering is reduced so that the fungus does not develop.
Fertilizer. Asparagus is fed only from April to October. Use a solution of mineral fertilizer for decorative and deciduous plants. It is applied to the soil instead of watering twice a month.
Crown formation. The attitude to pruning in most species of asparagus is very specific. An underground kidney initially develops, from which an shoot grows. If the stem is cut to the required length, the lateral processes and phyllocladia are not formed and further development stops. The plant will begin to form a new bud. Only sickle asparagus can be cut. The remaining species are supported and come up with how to twist the shoots decoratively, no matter how long they are. Use a ladder, a decorative spiral, guides from a fishing line or allow stems to hang from a cache-pot. On an old bush, bare and drying processes are cut off.
Diseases and pests. Only with prolonged flooding of the soil and low temperatures, asparagus affects root rot. Other diseases are not terrible to the plant. The main pest is a spider mite. It most often attacks when the air is too hot and dry. Sometimes it is enough to wash the shoots under a hot (up to 45 ° C) shower. In advanced cases, insecticides are used.
Use of asparagus
Beautiful airy green asparagus is very popular with gardeners. Pots with plants can be found in the corridors and rooms of residential buildings, offices and government agencies. Also, lush Christmas tree-like twigs are cut to decorate bouquets.
Common asparagus is used as food. This is a well-known asparagus. It is grown in the garden as a vegetable crop. Underground stems are harvested (about 18-20 cm long) with an unbroken bud. Shoots are rich in vitamins and active elements. They are canned and boiled. To taste, the dish can be compared with green peas.
The roots of asparagus contain ascorbic acid, saponins, the alkaloid asparagine, coumarins, amino acids, and mineral salts. From them make decoctions and infusions that help to cope with the following ailments:
- jaundice;
- infertility;
- gout;
- diabetes;
- tachycardia;
- epilepsy;
- rheumatism.
The drugs have milk, diaphoretic, analgesic, antibacterial, immunomodulatory effects. Various peoples have been using them for over 2,000 years.
