The veg edible asparagus is not a true fern , but people refer to the full - grown plant as a fern because of its small , delicate , fern - similar leafage . Asparagus plants are either manly or female , and the mature fern of the female produces attractive , shining - redseed podsbut low lance .
Caring for the Ferny Stalks of Mature Asparagus
The highlight of an asparagus bed is the annual , springtime appearance of pinnace shoots for eating . But some of these spears flex into the full - grown flora covered with thickly - impart , slender branches of fern - same foliage . Some hoi polloi employ this dense , seasonal leaf as a landscape planting while also reap spears for exhaust .
When ferns are at their wide-cut is the fourth dimension when edible asparagus plants involve the most urine . Asparagus ferns are unremarkably at their peak of growth in July and August , so on a regular basis irrigate the plant to a depth of 2 feet ( .6 meter ) during these months , so that the large base hive away up energy and nutrients for the next yr ’s increment of lance .
After August , irrigating can be harmful to the plant life as it causes fern growth later into the cold time of year , eat the root organisation of nutrients . lay off irrigation at the end of August and allow the ferns die back and the roots go hibernating . cut off the fernsoff at ground layer when they rick completely brown , and mulch the seam for winter .
rusting diseases cause asparagus ferns to break brown spot on foliage and outgrowth . Rust is more common in coastal areas and can be prevented by planting resistant cultivar .
Male and Female Asparagus Ferns
Both virile and female asparagus plants produceflowers , and looking closely at the bloom you’re able to determine which industrial plant are manlike and which female person . Male flowers are more elongated and larger in size . manlike flowers have six stamens and female have one declamatory , three - lobed stamen . Only the distaff plants have flower which turn into berry - similar seed pods .
Because they expend significant energy producing seeds , distaff Asparagus officinales plants do not do as good a job of producing harvestable shoot as male plant life . Male plant get loggerheaded , higher - lineament spears which are opt by most asparagus lover .
The seed dropped by distaff plants also sprout in the asparagus layer , creating an abundance of seedlings which have to be weeded out . So overall , female asparagus plants are less worthy than manly plant as a vegetable crop .
Many of the commercially available change of asparagus top are new , all - male , or predominantly manly , hybrids . producing with child crop of succulent spears . These miscellanea include :
Newer asparagus hybrids are also more liberal of cold weather and have greater impedance to fusarium wilt and rusting .
