Hi all. I received a lot of plants from a lady the other day that were VERY poorly cared for. This Asparagus Fern seems to be in the worst shape! All the others were terribly root bound, but I have NEVER seen anything like this! Someone PLEASE help me out with what I should do with this one. Also, I would like to try this outside next spring, if it can even be saved; would it survive a winter here in Zone 6? Thanks in advance for any assistance! Misty
It'll take a while and you'll damage some of the roots in the process, but you need to try and tease apart the roots as best you can. Chopsticks can be helpful in this process. Then repot it in the next size bigger container than what it was in, and keep it somewhere in not too bright light until its roots are able to recover a little from the damage you do when you tease the roots apart. It can definitely go outside during the warmer months, but they're only hardy to about zone 9 so you'll have to bring it in for the winter.
Thanks ecrane! You are always so helpful! Is it ok to go ahead and divide it while I am in the process of trying to save it, or better off to wait til it comes back? I had read that it will die back at 24 degrees, but would come back if you remove the dead, but I don't always believe what I read. Thanks again, Misty
Hi Misty, since you posted in the "beginner gardening" I wondered if you might like some feedback on the plant itself. If not please just disregard, I know this fern has fans. I started a thread by the SAME NAME, lol so I couldn't resist peeking at your question!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/746539/
I'm not sure about dividing it--I would probably wait, teasing apart a very rootbound rootball is stressful for the plant, and dividing a plant is also stressful, so my suggestion would be don't pile 2 stresses on top of each other, wait for it to recover from repotting first and then divide it.
As far as it dying back at 24 degrees but coming back, that could very well be true. The problem is if it gets a lot colder than 24 degrees, then the roots will end up dying too and it won't come back. Many plants will behave like this, if they're in a zone where they're reliably hardy they'll stay nice and green and show no damage over the winter, then if you get them in a zone where they're borderline hardy they can die back to the ground but the roots are still alive so they'll come back from the roots, but then when you put them in a zone that's colder than that, the roots die too and they don't come back. I would be very surprised if this plant survived a winter outdoors in zone 6.
LOL-Actually I do like this plant, if I can get it to survive. I have a place in the front yard where the invasiveness would be great. Although, I do plan to keep some as a house plant and just keep it pruned. I always like to hear what other's have to say about all plants/flowers, because then it lets me know if I want it or not! LOL Thanks for the help! Misty
It's only going to spread aggressively in climates where it's reliably hardy. Personally I think it would take a miracle for it to make it through a zone 6 winter unless Plant Files is way wrong on the hardiness, but if it does by some chance survive, it's going to be spending all its energy recovering from the winter damage rather than spreading like crazy. If you want to try it outside I would definitely make sure you keep some of it indoors too in case the outdoor part doesn't make it.
(just another interesting thing for you too--I read a bit of Tir's thread and the bulb-like things that you see in the roots aren't bulbs, they're part of the root that the plant uses to fix nitrogen)
Thanks again. I do plan to keep some inside as I do like it. I would plan to plant it outside in the spring from starts I take off the original. Right now I just want it to live. Good to know about the "bulb-like things", so that I am very careful to leave them on when I try to get it apart! Thanks again for all your help! Misty
ecrane, so those bulb shaped things if left in the ground where you've removed this plant---they won't regrow the plant later? I've had very few babies spring up since removing them and have not found them to be invasive now that I've removed them but those runners did spread quite far underground.
Misty, so glad you didn't take offense. I learn from dave's all the time.
I can't tell you though how many times I've wasted money on plants to read about it on Dave's later and see it's invasive---but ecrane is perfectly right, in a colder zone it should do awesome for you!
Some plants can regrow if you leave a little bit of their roots behind, I have no idea if the asparagus fern is like this or not. But the bulb-like parts aren't going to be any more likely to regrow than any other piece of their root that's left behind. Given how aggressively they can grow in warmer climates though it wouldn't surprise me if they could grow back from a little bit of root.
I have one that is 20yrs. old and one year I used some of the dried out tips to mulch other plants and those needles sprouted and grew new shoots.I had shoots all over the other plants and had to remove all the needle mulch to stop them from growing.
My plant gets beautiful red berries on the hanging stems with lovely little pink,delicate flowers all along the stems.The flowers are fragrant as well. I bring it inside for the winter,but it is so big now, I might have to build an addition on the Sunroom:) It does not like hot direct sunlight.
I'd say ,from the look of your pic,you stand a great chance of getting a beautiful plant growing soon.
Thanks so much! I almost bought me another itty bitty one at Lowe's today on clearance because I was so fearful of losing this one! I was planning on putting the pruned part in the compost, but, if it decides to grow around where it is, all the better! The pics I have seen are beautiful, so I really want it to make it. My sun room is very, very small, and I am filling it up VERY fast! I bought another Jade today with the red rim, and a pink african violet, so gotta make more room! Thanks again, Misty
Even though this is not the best time of year to be dividing asparagas fern, this one needs help. They are incredibly tough and can take the trauma of cutting the rootball in pieces with little setback. Just take a serrated knife and divide the ball into however many pieces you want. Don't bother trying to tease out the roots, they are just too compacted. It's OK to lose some of the swollen roots. I intentionally cut alot of them off when I divide mine, but that is in the spring and they rebound quickly then. Just repot the divisions in good wel drained soil and don't fertilize until next spring. They can go dormant, or be kept going in a fairly cool room. In a heated part of the house they will be a mess. Your plant will lose so many "needles". It would do this even if you didn't divide and repot. Mist the plant and keep it moderately moist (the top 1" should be dry before re-watering). Next spring put it out in indirect sun for 2 weeks and start to fertiize.. I forgot to mention that you should cut back entire plant by 1/3 before dividing. If you decide to wait until spring to divide, it will still make it, just takes longer to start putting out new growth.
Ecrane3, can you keep most houseplants outside year round in your climate?. I'm getting ready to haul about 250 plants inside for the winter and every year (as I get older) I get more serious about finding a climate where this is not necessary.
It depends on the plant, some houseplants can go outdoors all year round like the asparagus fern, schefflera, dracaenas, and a number of others as well. But there are still plenty of plants that need winter protection here (we do get at least several nights of frost every winter). I have a greenhouse where I keep anything that doesn't like frost (I grow a lot of tropicals, so it gets pretty full!) If you want to live somewhere that you can leave pretty much anything out all year long, you need to live in zone 10, which means places like San Diego, Miami, or Hawaii.
Wow, that was a real chore, but I am sure well worth it! I divided it in to two. I was not able to tease it apart because it was wrapped, and wrapped, and wrapped! I still ended up with a lot of the root and the little "bulb-like" things. I had already cut it back as it was too difficult to handle with all those pesky little needles. And it looked so poor already I didn't figure it would hurt it. I am anxious to see what I end up with. I now have more house plants than I know what to do with! It would be nice to live in a warmer climate. My Dad and his significant other live in California as well, and she just through out TONS of bulbs prior to a move-boy I wish I had my Dad bring them to me! He is here now. Doggone it, that's what I get for NOT thinking! Misty
Misty - I'm glad those plants in need made it to your doorstep. I get a good feeling when a neglected plant gets a second chance. You can quickly see the difference a little care and attention can make!
Thanks for the info. ecrane. Our seasons here are beautiful and I like living in Missouri, but I so much enjoy my plants and gardens the 6 or 7 months that I stretch them out to that I can only imagine how much more I would appreciate this joy year round. Even if it doesn't happen, it's fun to think about!
Misty: I am in zone 6b and it will not survive a winter outside. I have wacked the whole top of one and had it come back. Provided you have a correct name for this plant. You will find little onion like forms in the roots. It is my belief that these are much like the tubers we plant and dig up. I would experiment with it. I have divided a cousin to it Asperigus meyerii with success. It has filled in the root ball of both plants nicely. I hope to try it in the green house next year as well as trying just planting a tuber in a 4 inch container. I do not heat so I know it would die out there. Best of luck. Please let me know how the division goes and I will let you know how it goes for me.
Dave
Tulsa, OK
zone6b
Onion like, that is a good description of those little bugers! I ended up with plenty of them, even though I feel like I had to butcher the poor thing just to get it from being so root bound. I NEVER leave anything in the original pots I purchased them in. I was just sick when I pulled each of these out of their pots! How they lived I will never know. Isn't it amazing how many species there are to plants and flowers? Some that are annuals, others perennials? I will be sure to keep some inside just in case. We are able to get truck loads of free mulch in our area, so I will just cover it heavily and see how it goes next winter. Thanks for all the help! misty
Pughbear7 - When you divided the Meyerii (Bottlebrush asparagas), did you get a significant amount of dead stems for awhile? I LOVE this plant and divided it a few weeks ago, but I'm still losing some of the longer stems around the perimeter of the both divisions. I never experienced that when I divided the regular asparagas Misty is inquiring about.
I may not have fully understood what you meant about the asparagas plant tubers, but if you planted the root bulbs from either asparagas, nothing will grow. I tried several times. Finally I called Missouri Botanical Gardens and they said they are not tubers, but roots. They only have the capacity to store water. They sure look impressive though.
Thanks~!
You wouldn't say impressive if you seen this one close up! LOL most awful thing I have ever seen. Pic don't even come close to what it was really like. Misty
The little bulb like things you see in the roots are part of the roots that the plant uses for fixing nitrogen.
I believe I ended up with enough of them for it to survive, but not sure. I am really learning just how poor these plants are by trying to ID them through photos. Thanks again, Misty
I think they'll survive without them, my guess is they'll just make new ones as the roots redevelop.
Tinker with them and learn is the best I know to do. Especially since I just started gardening last year. I am thoroughly enjoying it, though! Misty
Grow girl: Yes they did drop quite a few of their "stems " (for lack of a better term). But they seem to be bouncing back quite fine. I kept mine inside for the summer as I had heath issues for the 1st part of the year and then moved. Both splits began to put on new growth this summer and I suspect they will do better next year. Its one I love always have and always will.
I have seen spreneri bust a pot and keep going. I suspect they like a dense root ball and do better when the roots are dense, but thats my opinion and right or wrong it the way I feel.
Anyone have any seeds to trade of either one?
Dave tulsa, OK zone 6b
I've had two asparagus ferns for a a few years, and if I haven't killed them, I doubt you can. I have read that once they get to the size you want and you want to keep them in the same size pot, then while repotting you can cut up to 1/3 of the roots away and plant them like that. I have chopped away at the foliage and the roots, and mine have lived and are doing pretty well. I take them out in the summer and bring them in in the winter. They always drop needles/leaves when I bring them in for the winter, get a lot of brown stems, and look a little scraggly. Then, when they go back out they look great!
The part that I pruned several days ago is still alive, so I assume that are pretty "stable" plants. I had left them lay outside for a few days, and it got pretty chilly, but they were still as green as when pruned. So, I decided to wrap it around the base of the actual plant and it looks really cool. I am looking forward to seeing what this will end up being next season! Thanks, Misty
