When you observe a yellowish appearance on your Asparagus Fern, it can be disturbing to say the least.
Typically, asparagines fern are quite colorful, but sometimes it happens, as in this case, they turn yellow. You need to know what causes it.
Overwatering is the culprit
The most common reasons for a fern turning yellow is overwatering. This is probably the easiest way to tell if your asparagus or any other plant is dying from too much water.
If the leaves are turning yellow, it means that too much water has been applied, generally in the last couple days before a hard freeze or the plant has been over watered.
If you do this, make sure you apply far less water than usual the next time you water, since you don’t want to start the over-watering cycle again.
Light
Light is another reason that plants sometimes turn yellow. Obviously, if you’re in an area where the sun is very intense, the color of the leaves will get darker.
But there are other reasons your asparagus fern’s yellowing. Perhaps the plant is not getting enough sunlight or maybe it is getting too much sunlight, this can also be solved by reducing the amount of light it receives.
Why you should never over water your plant
Overwatering is a serious problem especially for plants that have very deep roots. If you want to know, then you need to find out why your asparagus fern is yellowing when you regularly over water it.
This may be caused by root rot, which can easily be avoided by regularly giving your fern water when it is not overwatered. You should also try to find out why your asparagus fern is turning yellow when you regularly over water it as well.
Transplant stress
Other reasons that your asparagus fern might turn yellow is that it is undergoing a lot of transplant stress. Stress causes the plant to do some things that are normal for it, but it often causes the plant to stop growing as fast as it should.
This is why your asparagus fern is turning yellow. In order to solve this problem, you need to transplant your plant every so often.
If you want to avoid your asparagus ferns turning yellow, you should keep the temperature of the soil that the plant is in as high as possible. You should also give it enough light.
Another thing that you should do if you want to avoid your asparagus ferns turning yellow is to give it enough water.
Watering your plant will help the plant to stay healthy and prevent it from getting stressed. Finally, remember that if you accidentally over-watered your plant, you should immediately replant it.
Signs to know a dying Asparagus Fern
If you are one of the thousands who grows asparagus ferns, you probably want to know why they might be dying or show symptoms of death.
1). Lack of adequate water
The truth is that all ferns, especially the asparagus fern, will die from the same cause, the lack of water. This is common for all ferns, as they are mostly epiphytes that grow on water.
Water helps to regulate growth and spread of fungi. Without sufficient water, fungi will overgrow and infect the leaves, eventually causing the death of your asparagus fern.
As a matter of fact, the only way to prevent this from happening to your fern is if it’s completely dried out. The best way to do this is by providing it with an adequate amount of water. Some ferns are naturally asparagus resistant, and can survive in as little as 2% water, but most require an additional five to ten percent water.
So if you have a drier climate, make sure you provide your fern with as much water as possible, as humid air makes the fungal diseases more severe.
In addition, keep in mind that the primary threat posed by the fungus that attacks your fern is actually the penetration of the spores into the new growth of the plant.
So, to prevent the fungal growth from spreading, make sure that there are not too many leaves on the plant. One way to ensure this is to thin the plants as they grow, since the larger the leaves of the plant, the more chances there are for the spore to penetrate into the new growth.
2). Does it turn out to be sunny?
In some cases, the leaves of your fern might not always stay in direct sunlight, especially in the summertime.
It can be difficult to give your fern sufficient light, but it’s important to try. If you have a shady spot in your yard, you may want to consider growing your fern in that spot instead of in full sun.
Ferns will do well even in shaded areas; just remember to make sure that the soil has enough moisture to allow the new growth of the plant to occur. Ferns in full sun tend to become stressed by the heat and can die.
3). Is your Asparagus fern suffering from what appears to be a leaf disease?
Sometimes, infected leaves of your Asparagus fern will turn yellow, brown, or black. The foliage may also begin to droop and curl up.
Usually, however, the symptoms are milder than this and the leaves rarely die. You may also notice that the underside of the stems may be discolored, moldy, or suffering from a powdery residue that clings to the foliage of the plant.
4). Does your Asparagus fern appears to be losing its leaves?
If the leaves of your Asparagus fern are not growing, it’s due to the loss of the tuberous roots.
The roots, when they die, are unable to absorb enough water to keep the foliage green and healthy. You should water regularly but remember to only do so when the soil is wet.
How to revive a dying asparagus fern
Reviving a dying asparagus fern can be a little tricky, to say the least. This plant is not very common in the United States, and it is not edible. If you really want to try to grow one, you need to find a source that grows it natively.
Luckily, as of right now, you can pretty much find any type of fern in the southern United States.
The only difference between this species and other types of plants in your area is that they are not native, so the asparagus fern is not going to be quite as hard to find.
Grow Asparagus Fern in a Sunny Area
To start off, you will need to find a nice, sunny spot to grow this asparagus fern in. This will probably need to be somewhat shady throughout most of the day.
You could try growing it in a pot, if you have a big enough pot, but this will require you to water it more often. On the bottom of the pot, you should put some good soil.
In a small container, mix in a little perlite to give the pot a darker appearance and give it more of a cushioning effect.
Humidity of the area
In order for the asparagus fern to survive, it will need some humidity. You can mist the plants from the top by using a watering can, but this will only work temporarily. You need to give the roots of the fern water regularly.
You can mist the plant from the bottom by filling a watering can with water and putting the fern in the can. The water will get directly on the fern and help to keep it alive.
Transplant with utmost care
When you are trying to transplant an asparagus fern, make sure that you only remove enough pieces so they don’t die.
You don’t want to mess up your asparagus fern, because this is one of the most popular plants at the garden center.
Once you have successfully transferred the fern into a large pot or container, you can water it and let it grow from there. If you do decide to water it often, you should get the asparagus fern seeds from a friend or grower, but you can find seeds at your local garden center as well.
If your asparagus fern has started to die, you should remove any decaying matter such as roots, leaves or fungus, and then repot it.
Repotting is extremely important for your fern because it will grow much better if it has access to water and air. If you are transplanting your dying asparagus fern, dig it out of the ground and move it to a larger container. This will make it easier to transplant.
When you repot your dying asparagus fern, use an airtight container that has some room for the plant to expand and keep in mind not to put too much water in it.
Final thoughts
Water your fern well when it starts to look wilted, but do not overwater it because that will encourage the plant to die even more.
If you have a hole in your ground that your fern can fit in, all you need to do is add some water and let it sit.
This will help it stay alive and it will help it get a good start over again. These are just a few basic steps on how to revive a dying asparagus fern, and you’ll notice that if you follow these tips, you’ll find it easier to take care of this difficult plant.
