Asparagus Fern

Whether or not you should trim your Asparagus Fern will depend on what you want to get from your plant, how well it’s been growing, the size of your plant and other factors. You can trim an Asparagus Fern, it can help with appearance and it can be beneficial to the plant so let’s jump in and take a look at trimming your fern.

As Asparagus ferns can be plants that grow relatively quickly you might find that parts of your plant grow more quickly than other and that they can get out of control in a short amount of time. You may have started with a neat little fern but all of a sudden you have bits of ferns sticking all over the place.

If this is the case then don’t hesitate to cut the fern back. If it’s overgrown you can trim your plan for a neater overall appearance. You can also trim the fern if the foliage has received sun damage or has turned brown or discoloured. Just simply cut back the area of the plan that is damaged to leave healthy green growth.

You don’t want your plant wasting resources on a dying area when it could be stimulating new and healthy growth.

What To Use To Trim Your Asparagus Fern

When trimming your fern some garden sheers or a pair of sharp scissors should do the job just fine. We like the Growneer trimming scissors as they’re sharp stainless steel and non stick.

You want to make sure that the implements are clean before pruning and that the blades are sharp to ensure a nice clean cut. If you notice rotting around where a cut has been made then use your sharp, clean scissors and cut further down the stem to get rid of the damaged part of the plant.

How Often Should I Trim?

How often your trim your fern is entirely up to you and depends on what aesthetic you’re looking for.

If your plant doesn’t suffer any damage and you don’t mind how it looks then you might just leave it to grow and see what happens.

However, if your plant has brown foliage or the appearance isn’t bushy enough then you may want to consider trimming it back much more often.

Some people will trim their fern once a year, others will leave it every three years. Just find the balance that works for you and listen to what your plant needs from you.

Top Tips For Trimming

• Make sure you are wearing shearing gloves when trimming your fern to avoid injury.
• Don’t just let your fern brown and trim it away. Try and think why is my fern turning brown? Is it getting too much sun? Too little water? Try to optimise your plant’s living conditions rather than using pruning as a solution or you might find that your plant dies.
• Light can also change how your fern grows as it will grow to try and reach light. So rather than trimming you can also change the position of your plant in terms of how much light it gets and where that light source is coming from.

So don’t hold back, if you want a neater bush then get trimming. And while you’re learning how to care for your fern check out our article on is an asparagus fern annual or perennial? 

An Asparagus Fern is a great houseplant to get if you’re just starting out, as it doesn’t need much light, isn’t too fussy and can put out a lot of growth. The main thing to be aware of with these plants is that they can be hungry customers.

We have a more in depth article all about Asparagus Ferns, how to care for them, best conditions, how to propagate them and more but if you’re looking for some quick tips on how to care for an Asparagus Fern then you’re in the right place here.

Asparagus Fern Light Requirements

For your Asparagus Fern to thrive luckily you don’t need a whole load of light. These plants dwell on the bottom of forests so receive dappled light in their natural environment. This means that they can be the perfect plant if you have a shady area that needs perking up with a houseplant.

The Fern can also do relatively well in bright light if you do want to place it on a windowsill so you have some flexibility with your plant placement.

Asparagus Fern Watering Requirements

If you are someone who forgets to water your plants then the Asparagus Fern might not be for you. These plants get real thirsty and they will drink the water in their pot in a relatively quick amount of time.

Rather than having a set time for when you water them just check the soil every few days to check how dry it is and make sure you water thoroughly when it needs a drink.

Even though they drink a lot don’t overwater your plant. If your soil is wet you don’t need to water the Fern.

Learn how about how often to water your Asparagus Fern.

Asparagus Fern Humidity Requirements

Asparagus Ferns will do well under humid conditions. They don’t need them to survive but they will thrive with a bit of extra humidity and you will see your plant putting out new growth.

If you can’t get a humidifier then don’t worry, you could put trays of water around your plants to increase the humidity in the air.

Alternatively you could place your Asparagus Fern in the bathroom for a heavy dose of humidity every time you take a shower. Or you could even just buy a mister and mist your plants a few times a week.

Don’t Put The Pot On A Radiator!

One of the most important things to be aware of with this plant (and with many other species of plants) is that you shouldn’t place the Fern above a radiator or fireplace.

As we mentioned above these plants like to drink and placing them above a radiator will dry the soil out very quickly. If you place a plant here you could risk seriously harming your Fern.

So these are our top tips on how best to cultivate Asparagus Ferns, remember to check out our full article if you want to learn about Asparagus Ferns in more detail.

They may not look it but an asparagus fern is a thirsty plant and they will drink a lot more water than other houseplants. You might find yourself watering your fern and coming back three days later to dry soil depending on the temperature and light situation inside your house.

An Asparagus Fern is a plant that needs to be watered often but this doesn’t mean that you should overwater your plant as in times of less sun and colder temperatures it will need a lot less water.

Consider investing in a moisture probe or if you’re quite comfortable taking care of plants then just use your fingers and stick them a few inches into the soil to check the moisture level. You should water when the top of the soil is dry but you don’t want to wait until the whole of the soil has dried out as this can be damaging to the plant.

Underwatered Asparagus Ferns

Signs that your Asapargus Fern is being underwatered include browning and droopy foliage. If you notice these signs then check the moisture levels in the soil immediately as it’s possible your Fern isn’t getting enough water.

If this starts to happen to your plant then don’t worry, there is still time to save your plant, just make sure you’re responsive to it’s watering needs.

Asparagus Ferns Also Like It Humid

Not only do Asparagus Ferns like to be watered often, they are also very receptive to higher levels of humidity or misting.

You don’t have to buy a humidifier if you don’t already have one as they can be expensive but if you do have one then you don’t need to do any work except for changing the tank when the water runs out.

If you don’t have a humidifier then you could try misting your plants. Misters are very cheap and you can give your plant some added moisture in seconds. You can do this however often your plant requires misting.

If you don’t have a mister or a humidifier but you want to increase humidity levels then you can try leaving trays or glasses of water around your plants so that they can take in some of the moisture when it evaporates into the air.

Things That Will Change How Often You Water Your Asparagus Fern

Light – if your plant is getting lots of light it will drink up it’s water much more quickly so make sure you test the soil moisture levels more often if it is in a well lit area.

Heat – If your home gets hot then your soil will become drier more quickly.

Humidity in the air – if you live somewhere that is not very humid then it may be a good idea to check on your plant more often and you’ll either have to water it more or mist it to provide it with the moisture it needs

The best thing about an asparagus fern is that if you take care of it and remember to water it, it will show you a lot of love and put out new growth. You might even find yourself needing to trim your asparagus fern.

The short answer to this question is:

An Asparagus Fern is a perennial plant.

If you already understand the difference between annual and perennial then we hope we’ve been able to help you. If you’re not sure then keep on reading in order to understand what these terms actually mean and whether or not this will influence your decision about buying certain plants.

There are some plants that are planted, grow, bloom and die all within a yearly cycle and to have the plant a second year it needs to be replanted in the spring. Then they are plants that return year after year without needing to be replanted. This is the difference between an annual and perennial plant.

What Is An Annual Plant?

An annual plant is one who is planted, grows, blooms and dies within just one year. If you wish to have the plant again it will need to be replanted. Some examples of this include Angelonia, Celosia and Chrysanthemum. Annual plants tend to be flowering plants.

After this description it may seem crazy to you that people choose annual plants but many of these plants have fantastic, colourful blooms that can attract budding gardeners. And if you spend all year in the garden, it can be appealing to have a bit of variety year to year.

What Is A Perennial Plant?

A Perennial Plant is a plant that lasts more than two years. So even if it faces cold weather during the winter it should grow back again come springtime. But even within perennials they have different life spans. Some Perennials will start to show wear after a few years and may need to be replaced, where as others are hardier and will keep going year after year.

Perennial plants are very attractive to people who are new to gardening and who with to see their plants grow year after year.

Asparagus Fern Plant – A Perennial

As we mentioned earlier, the Asparagus Fern is a perennial plant, which means that it will keep going and won’t die after one year. This can make an Asparagus Fern a popular plant to keep, especially since it’s care requirements are relatively simple as well.

However, if your Asparagus Fern is outside and the ground below the plant becomes frozen to the root level this can damage the root system, which will cause your plant to die and it won’t come back the next week.

Also you can kill your plant if you don’t know properly how to care for an Asparagus Fern, so make sure you read up on light requirements, how often you need to water your plant, whether or not it needs fertiliser, what humidity levels would be most appropriate and other Asparagus Fern care tips.

But if you have the fern indoors and you follow the care requirements then there’s no reason your Fern shouldn’t thrive and continue to put out growth year after year. And this thirsty little plant will certainly reward your with growth if you meet it’s needs and water it when ever the plant needs it.