Asparagus decorates houses and apartments with its openwork lush foliage. Fans of indoor floriculture often encounter yellowing of this decorative foliage plant. We will find out why asparagus turns yellow and dies, how to avoid this and what measures to take.
Description and characteristics of asparagus
Asparagus belong to the asparagus family. These are perennials with strong branching and mainly needle-shaped branches. May be herbs or shrubs. Bloom in spring in small single or racemose inflorescences. After flowering, a berry is formed, inside of which there is one or more seeds. All asparagus berries are poisonous.
This genus has 300 species growing in Eurasia, East and West Africa. Some of them are used as indoor plants, because they have a short rest period, and the branching structure gives them a decorative “fluffy” look. Some of them even decorate bouquets.
The main causes of yellowing and shedding of leaves
Before doing anything with yellowed asparagus, it is necessary to determine what led the plant to this state. Consider the main reasons why it may turn yellow.
Did you know? Among the Victorians, a sprig of asparagus in a bouquet was a symbol of natural charm.
Wrong watering
Asparagus should be moderately watered to prevent the drying of an earthen coma. Lack of moisture in the soil leads to the fact that the green part of the plant dries. It is also not necessary to keep the earth in a constantly wet state. After watering, drain the water from the sump. Excess or stagnation of moisture also leads to decay of the roots of the plant, as a result of which the asparagus turns yellow and discards the foliage. Drying of the soil often occurs in the summer, when the plant needs more frequent watering, and waterlogging in the winter. In the cold period, watering is much less common.
Lack or excess of lighting
The plant loves a lot of light, but direct sunlight can burn its greenery and cause yellowing. On the south window, all of its species should be shaded in the summer, except for the asparagus of Sprenger. If the asparagus has turned yellow, then this may also indicate a lack of light. It can be seen on the northern windows. The plant turns yellow and crumbles also in low light in the winter.
Important! Asparagus does not tolerate strong chemicals, so for treatments it is better to use weaker drugs or alternative methods if the lesion is not very large.
Air is too dry
These plants need moist air, they like spraying. In the summer heat and in the heating season, when heating appliances dry the air, asparagus should be sprayed more often. Dry air can cause yellowing and shedding of leaves.
Lack or lack of top dressing
Asparagus quickly depletes the soil and in the period of active vegetation (spring-summer) needs weekly feeding. In winter, they are reduced and fed only once a month, but they do not stop, because a lack of nutrients will cause the plant to become pale and yellow, and slow its growth.
No transplant
The roots of these plants quickly develop and deplete ground food. In this case, the plants slow down in growth and begin to turn yellow. When the roots begin to peek out of the pot, then dressing will no longer help - in this case, it is necessary to transplant the plant into a more spacious pot with new soil. The leaves of the overgrown specimen usually turn yellow and die.
Important! Untimely plant transplantation and the rapid growth of roots in a small capacity for it can lead to the fact that the pot may crack due to the pressure of the volumetric root system of the asparagus.
Pests
Yellowing of asparagus foliage can occur as a result of attacks by pests.
Spider mite
This small pest can be red, orange or yellow. It penetrates through cracks, as well as through contaminated soil or an instrument. The appearance and reproduction of the insect is facilitated by dry air with elevated temperature. Signs of tick parasitism are the presence of a thin cobweb, as well as small yellowish inclusions.
Leaves begin to turn yellow, dry and fall. To combat these pests, insecticides (Fitoverm, Karbofos, Actellik) are used or alternative methods are used (infusion of garlic, rubbing with soapy water). It is also necessary to increase air humidity.
Thrips
They are small (up to 5 mm long) insects of a dark color. They affect weakened crops that have not been moistened for a long time, not fertilized, and kept in a dimly lit place. The appearance of the pest is signaled by white plaque and discolored spots. The leaves are gradually deformed, and the stems become uneven. After a while, the asparagus begins to dry and wither. To eliminate this problem, drugs such as "Vertimek", "Actellik", "Confidor" are used.
To combat these pests, you can use folk remedies:
- Infusion of onions or garlic. About 1 g of garlic (onion) is taken per 1 liter of water, as well as 4 g of laundry soap for better adhesion. The solution is insisted for about 8-10 hours. They are treated plants 2-3 times with an interval of 10 days.
- Pure alcohol. They process the aerial part of the indoor flower.
- Hot pepper infusion. For its preparation, 1 g of water is boiled for 60 minutes, 100 g of fresh fruits of hot pepper. Then the resulting broth is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. They are sprayed with a plant.
Aphid
This small insect can enter asparagus with the help of new plants that are affected by this pest, as well as through an open window. Insects feed on the juice of an indoor flower, weakening it. A pest in the course of its life can contribute to the appearance of viral and fungal diseases.
Did you know? Aphids live in commonwealth with ants. The latter consume aphids — sweet fall, so they even transfer the eggs of this pest to their anthill and provide them with a good wintering.
Signs of damage are yellowing and deformation of the leaves, and then their further discoloration, drying out and falling off. To eliminate aphids, the following folk methods can be used: a celandine decoction, an infusion of hot pepper or garlic. Treatments with chemical preparations “Karbofos”, “Fitoverm”, “Actellik” give a good result for eliminating the pest.
Worm
According to external data, the pest is similar to wood lice, it is white in color, up to 6 mm long. The appearance of a pest can provoke violations in the care of a room flower - cold air, temperature drops, waterlogging, untimely elimination of rotted parts of the plant. Infection usually occurs through the soil or from neighboring indoor flowers. This pest is detected by a whitish powdery coating, as well as yellowing and deformation of the leaves.
Important! When transplanting, all old and dried branches are removed - this stimulates the growth of new young shoots well.
In the process of its life, the insect contributes to the appearance of fungal diseases. Such insects feed on plant sap, inhibiting its growth and development. To control pests, the indoor flower is cleaned with a soapy solution once a week until the insects disappear. If there are too many worms, they use the chemical preparations “Aktara”, “Mospilan”, “Confidor”.
You can also apply folk remedies:
- Soap solution with the addition of alcohol. For 0.5 l of water, 7.5 g of crushed laundry soap and 5 ml of alcohol are taken. This mixture is sprayed with a room flower.
- The infusion of garlic. 5 cloves of garlic are taken in 0.5 l of water. Chopped garlic is poured with boiling water, and then filtered and topped up with water in a ratio of 1: 5. This infusion is sprayed with asparagus.
Shield
It is a small insect up to 3 mm in length, gray in color. The appearance of this pest contributes to dry air. Scale infection can also occur from neighboring plants. You can detect insects by the appearance of white plaques on the leaves, sticky coating, yellowing and falling of leaves. Scarab larvae drink plant juice, damaging it.
To get rid of this problem, apply folk remedies or chemical preparations. First, the plant is cleaned of insects and plaque with a sponge dipped in soapy water, and then insecticides such as "Aktara", "Mospilan", "Confidor" are used. To prevent problems, increase the humidity in the room.
How can cure asparagus transplant
Yellowing and falling of leaves sometimes indicates that the asparagus needs to be transplanted into a new, more spacious pot, since the old one became cramped for the overgrown root system. Young specimens are recommended to be transplanted annually, and transplantation of a more adult plant (more than 4 years) should be carried out every 2-3 years. This indoor flower should be transplanted in the spring. The pot is selected 2.5-3 cm more than the previous one.
An overgrown root system needs to be trimmed moderately. The pot is taken with a hole for draining excess moisture. A drainage layer of expanded clay or broken brick is necessarily placed in it. Transplant soil can be purchased at the store, or you can prepare it yourself. To do this, mix 2 parts of leaf soil and humus, as well as 1 part of river sand. The soil should have an acidity of 5.5–7 pH.
After the transplant, the indoor plant will undergo a process of adaptation to new conditions and recover from stress throughout the week. At this time, it should not be fertilized, watered and moved to a brightly lit place. A healthy plant is transplanted by transshipment. If there are rotten roots, then they are freed from the earthen coma and the diseased parts are removed.
Video: Asparagus transplant
Disease Prevention
The best preventive measure against the emergence of many asparagus diseases is to comply with all the rules for caring for the plant:
- Provide timely top dressing, which well strengthen the plants.
- Monitor the temperature and humidity in the room, provide the necessary lighting.
- Remove dried and rotten parts.
- Perform proper watering.
- Carry out a timely transplant, as well as share the roots for updating and obtaining new indoor plants.
- Inspect plants for any diseases or pests. If a problem is detected, timely take appropriate measures to eliminate it.
- For planting and transplanting a flower, use only disinfected soil.
- When breeding, use only strong and completely healthy specimens.
It is not difficult to grow asparagus at home, but optimal conditions should be created for it and transplanted in time.
