Leggy Asparagus Fern
A leggy asparagus fern can look particularly odd compared to other plants that get a bit elongated. You might find you have a beautiful bushier plant and then suddenly a long stem appears almost overnight. This stem can suddenly become 50cm or 1 meter long in a couple of days and you’re left wondering why does my asparagus fern look like that. If you like the look of this then you can leave your plant but if you don’t let’s look at why it’s happening and what you can do to stop it.
Why Is My Asparagus Fern Leggy?
The main cause of a leggy asparagus fern is a lack of light. These plants often get labelled as low light houseplants and because of this people make the mistake of putting them in a dark corner where they receive very little sunlight. If you notice your asparagus fern becoming leggy and long stems growing outwards this is because they’re trying to grow towards the light. So if you notice this happening the best thing to do is to move your plant to a brighter spot. However, try not to put your plant in a spot where it will receive direct sunlight all day as this can burn your plant, especially if you live in a hot, sunny region.
If you don’t have a brighter spot available then your plant might benefit from grow lights like these ones from amazon. Grow lights can work in a similar way to the sun providing your plant with the light it needs if you either don’t have room for it by a window or you live in a dark region.
Will The Seasons Affect My Plant’s Growth?
You might find that the seasons do make a difference on the appearance of your asparagus fern. A plant that looks bushy and healthy during the summer months can start to look worse for wear during the winter. If your home is warm, your plant is regularly watered and the soil is full of nutrients than your asparagus fern could very well keep growing during the winter. The only difference might be the light. Where your plant was used to a whole day of sunlight, it might now be receiving only a few hours and quite dim light at that. Meaning that a plant that looks fine during the summer could become leggy in the winter. If this is the case for you then don’t be afraid to move your plant depending on the season. Day to day changed shouldn’t make a difference but whole seasons can.
Trimming A Leggy Asparagus Fern
If you don’t like the look of a leggy asparagus fern then you can simply trim the elongated stems away. Take a sharp pair of clean scissors and make a snip where you would like the stem to end. You can do this with all of the elongated stems given that they don’t make up over half the plant and then place your asparagus fern in a brighter spot and your plant should start to grow bushier rather than leggier.
So now you know what causes a leggy asparagus fern and what to do about it. However, it’s important to remember that it’s your plant and if you like the leggy look and your plant is still healthy and putting out new growth then feel free to leave it where it is and let it grow as it likes.
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