General distinguishing features of asparagus, creating conditions for growing, recommendations for transplanting and reproduction, diseases and pests, interesting facts, species. The content of the article
- Agrotechnics for growing, care
- Breeding recommendations
- Growing difficulties
- Interesting Facts
- Views
Asparagus (Asparagus) or as it is also called Asparagus is part of the family of the same name Asparagus (Asparagaceae). And at the moment, about 300 species of representatives of the flora of the planet are ranked in it. They can live in many areas of the world where a predominantly dry climate prevails. The main homeland of asparagus is considered to be the territories of Africa, which stretch from east to south. However, this is not entirely true, this interesting plant can also grow successfully in natural conditions in India, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and it also feels great on the lands of the Far East. On the territory of Russia, only 8 species of this plant can be found in the wild.
It has a well-developed tuberous rhizome system, and even in the case of freezing of the aboveground parts, asparagus quickly recovers with the arrival of spring. The root tubers are small bulbs braided with thin roots. Thanks to this system, asparagus can easily store nutrients and moisture, and they also contribute to the rapid growth of the plant.
Asparagus has a mainly herbal form of growth, but it can also take on semi-shrub forms. Its height is approaching one and a half meters. In such species, the underground rhizome is sufficiently developed, and branched or not very branchy shoots are located above the soil surface, some of the species have creeping stems, that is, they are liana-like plants. On the branches are located in large numbers and usually collected in bunches needle-shaped shoots (cladodia or phyllocadia), they sit in the leaf sinuses. But the leaf blades themselves are underdeveloped, small with a scaly shape or growing in the form of thorns. At their base, they form spurs with a hard surface.
Flowers also grow from the axils of the leaves, they are located singly or can be collected in inflorescences in the form of brushes or scutes. Typically, asparagus flowers can be either bisexual or unisexual. Their perianth may have a simple separable shape, or with slightly fused petals at the base. The number of petals is six, their arrangement is two circles. There are also six stamens in the bud and they are presented in the form of threads with thin elongated or lamellar outlines. Anthers are located on them, which are opened from the inside. The pistil has a triangular upper ovary, has a short column and a stigma with three lobes.
Asparagus bears fruit with berries containing one or more seeds. The peel of the seed is thick, blackish in color, the protein is horny and there is a small embryo. The plant is distinguished by good adaptability to various climatic conditions, which is the key to its rapid settlement. This is also facilitated by birds, which, eating asparagus berries, carry its seed material over long distances.
Some types of asparagus are distinguished by edible shoots, about 20 cm of the upper part of the branch is a delicacy product - this refers to the species of asparagus (asparagus) medicinal, short-leaved and whorled.
Agrotechnics in the cultivation of asparagus, care
- Lighting for asparagus. Content on east or west windows, where there is a lot of bright but soft light, is suitable.
- Temperature content in the summer months is 22-24 degrees, and if in winter it is not lowered to 10-15 degrees, the foliage will fall off.
- Air humidity indoors should not be lowered, it is necessary to carry out daily spraying, especially in the summer months.
- Fertilizers for asparagus. Since the plant does not have a dormant period, it needs feeding all year round. Only in the period from spring to autumn, fertilizers are applied weekly, in the fall once every 14 days, and in winter only once a month. Complex mineral solutions for indoor plants can be used and they are usually alternated with organic supplements (for example, mullein) with a low concentration.
- Watering. As soon as the asparagus enters the active growing season, it is necessary to moisten the soil as soon as the upper part of the soil in the pot dries up (if you take a pinch, it should crumble). With the arrival of autumn and winter, watering is reduced and humidification is carried out, after the top layer dries out in a couple of days. Complete overdrying of an earthen coma threatens death for asparagus. It is recommended to water through the pan - bottom watering.
- Transplant and soil selection. Up to 5 years of age, asparagus is transplanted annually, and after every 2-3 years. When transplanting, the pot is taken a little more than the old container, and the roots of the plant are slightly shortened. In the bottom of the new container, holes are made for water drainage and a layer of 2 cm of drainage material (expanded clay) is poured. The substrate is made up of leafy soil, humus soil and coarse sand (in a ratio of 1: 2: 2). You can mix in 2 parts of the sod. After the transplant, the asparagus is watered and after 14 days it can be fed.
Recommendations for breeding asparagus at home
You can propagate asparagus yourself by planting seeds, dividing the rhizome during transplantation with stem branches.
Sowing seeds takes place from January to March, but many growers claim that it is necessary to sow seeds immediately after harvest. Planting must be carried out in a moist sand-peat mixture (parts are equal). For successful germination, the temperature is maintained at about 21 degrees. It is necessary to wrap the container with seeds with plastic wrap or place under a glass. You will need to regularly moisten the soil and ventilate the seedlings. Seedlings usually appear 4–5 weeks after sowing. When young plants reach a size of 7-10 cm, then they must be dived (transplanted into separate containers with a diameter of 7 cm).
With the arrival of June, you can carry out the next transplant into pots with a diameter of 10-12 cm. The substrate is mixed on the basis of sod and leafy soil, humus and peat with the addition of river sand. All parts must be equal.
If a transplant is made, then it is possible to divide the old asparagus bush into several parts. The plant is removed from the pot and the root system is carefully divided by hand, if this fails, a well-sharpened knife is used. Places of cuts must be powdered with crushed activated or charcoal for disinfection. Then the cuttings are placed in separate containers with the appropriate substrate.
For propagation by cuttings, it will be necessary to cut the apical shoots in March. The length of the cutting should not be less than 10 cm. They are planted in pots with a moistened substrate. The planted branches must be wrapped in a plastic bag or covered with a glass jar. Some growers use a cut-off top with a plastic bottle. After removing the lid, you can easily ventilate and moisten the soil in the pot. Rooting takes place within 4-6 weeks. When the branches show signs of active growth, they can be transplanted into separate pots with the appropriate size and soil.
Difficulty growing asparagus indoors
The plant can be affected by spider mites, thrips or scabies. When these pests appear in the plant, the stems turn yellow, they are deformed, and a light cobweb or sticky sugary bloom (insect waste products) begins to cover them. To combat insects, you can manually remove them and remove plaque using a soap, oil, or alcohol that is applied to a cotton pad. If these drugs do not help, then you will have to spray with insecticides, for example, "Aktellikom" or "Aktara". However, it should be noted that all such agents are very poorly tolerated by the plant.
It is necessary to prune the plant very carefully, since the shortened branch stops growing. This is a peculiarity of asparagus and must be taken into account.
If there is a sunburn or drying out of an earthen coma, then asparagus leaves (shoots) become covered with whitish spots from direct sunlight, they can turn brown at the edges and eventually fall off.
If the leaves began to turn yellow and fall off, but there are no signs of a burn, then this is the cause of increased air temperature or insufficient lighting.
Interesting facts about asparagus
Asparagus began to be cultivated in large quantities 2500 years ago in Greece. Many statesmen and rulers (Louis XIV, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Jefferson and many others) consumed kilograms of asparagus sprouts.
Asparagus contains many vitamins such as C, K, B group, folic acid and others. Eating asparagus will help improve the functioning of the body, from the cellular level to the setting of immunity.
Asparagus or asparagus can only be harvested for 7-8 years. To increase the productivity of the plant, he was allowed to "rest", to accumulate energy in its shoots.
The first images of this plant can be attributed to the heyday of Egyptian civilization - the found frescoes with images of asparagus date back to the 3rd millennium BC. There is one unpleasant omen regarding the flowers of asparagus, they say, if delicate flowers appear on this plant, then this promises trouble for the house where asparagus grows or even the death of one of the household members. But this has nothing to do with the energy of the plant. Asparagus can actually damage only one case, when pets or small children want to eat asparagus berries. Asparagus fruit contains toxic substances - saponins. So they can cause diarrhea, vomiting, or other unpleasant symptoms of poisoning.
Asparagus species
Common Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis). Often this plant is also called medicinal asparagus or pharmacy asparagus. In natural nature, it grows on the lands of all of Europe, excluding its northern regions, in the northern lands of the African continent, in Asia Minor and Central Asia, in North America, on the islands of New Zealand and the Australian continent. Likes to settle in meadows of river floodplains, in steppe regions, among shrub thickets and rarely in fields.
Its height reaches 30–150 cm. Shoots of asparagus are glabrous with a smooth surface and many branches growing vertically upward or along oblique lines. Cladodia are thin, with straight outlines, in the form of filaments, reaching a length of 1-3 cm. They are arranged in 3-6 units, can be almost pressed against the stem or going obliquely upwards. The shape of the leaves is scaly, characterized by a spur.
Flowering occurs with whitish-yellow buds. They are arranged in pairs or singly. Their pedicels are elongated, having an articulation at the middle, or it can be either higher or lower. They are located on the shoots along the main axis or directly on the branches. The form of the perianth is bell-shaped, funnel-shaped, the lobes are elongated. Male flowers are about 5 mm long, anthers and filaments of stamens are equal in length. Pistillate buds only 2.5 mm. The flowering process occurs in May-June. The fruit ripens in the shape of a brick-red berry. The fruit ripens until the end with the arrival of August.
Substances asparagine, saponins, coumarins, carbohydrates, traces of essential oil, carotenoids, as well as amino acids and vitamin C are found in the rhizome and roots of asparagus. But young shoots in large quantities contain proteins, the same asparagine, lysine, arginine and some amino acids, there is also carotene, a large amount of mineral salts (especially there is a lot of potassium) and saponins. The seed material is rich in fatty oils, of which up to 15%, but the mature fruits are distinguished by the content of carbohydrates, malic and citric acids, and traces of alkaloids are revealed.
This type of asparagus is grown in home gardens as a vegetable crop. Florists love to decorate phytocompositions with sprigs of asparagus. It has been known to mankind since 2000 BC. In ancient Greece, it was customary to weave wreaths for newlyweds from green feathery branches, but the Middle Ages were distinguished by the use of asparagus as an aphrodisiac drug. It has been customary to grow asparagus on the territory of Russia since the 18th century.
Asparagus asparagus (Asparagus asparagoides). It bears the second name of asparagus asparagus. Its homeland can be considered wild forests that cover the mountains in South Africa, as well as coastal sandy areas. The bare branches are painted in a light greenish shade, they are flexible. Modified shoots (phylloclades) in the form of leaves, have an ovoid shape, a shiny surface, their color is bright green. It blooms with small whitish buds. The fruit is a berry of orange-reddish color. Shoots can reach one and a half meters and they need support. The branches of this type of asparagus retain their decorative appearance for a very long time, and therefore they are used in the design of bouquets and flower arrangements. An interesting fact is that when ripe, the berries have an orange aroma. It is grown as an ampelous culture.
Asparagus plumose (Asparagus plumosus). Often it is called in literary sources Asparagus bristly (Asparagus setaceus). Its true homeland is the territory of eastern and southern Africa. It prefers to settle in the humid forests of tropical and subtropical regions, in the valleys of river arteries, on the plains or in the mountain belt, in the middle. It has a semi-shrub form with curly bare shoots. The leaves are completely reduced (reduced) to tiny sizes (about 0.5 cm) and are brown triangular scales. Phylloclades (stems) are very similar to filamentous leaves and are collected in 3-12 units. In length, they reach 0.5–1.5 cm with a diameter of 0.5 mm. They have a slight bend, are painted in light green shades and give an openwork decorative beauty to asparagus. Some shoots grow horizontally and can be mistaken for finely porous leaves. This asparagus blooms with small white flowers of 2-4 pieces. The fruits ripen like berries with a bluish-black tint, inside contains 1-3 seeds. Most of all, flower growers love a variety of this asparagus called dwarf asparagus.
Sprenger's Asparagus (Asparagus sprengeri). It can be found under the names of Asparagus aethiopicus or Asparagus densiflorus var.sprengeri. Under natural conditions, it grows in humid mountainous areas in the south of the African continent. It has a semi-shrub growth with climbing shoots. Perennial herb. Shoots can be bare, grooved or smooth. They are strongly branched, but rather weak, reaching lengths of up to one and a half meters. Reduced leaf blades look like subulate scales reaching up to 2–4 mm in length. Clododia have a thickened leaf-like shape, their length can reach up to 3 cm and a width of up to 1–3 mm. They are straight, with a slight bend, with a sharp top. Germinate singly or are collected in bunches of 2-4 cm. Flowering takes place in small fragrant buds of a whitish or slightly pinkish tide. Fruits in the form of red berries contain one grain. Grown in culture since the end of the XIX century.
For more useful information on the maintenance and care of asparagus pinnate, see here:
