I bought an air fern from fredmeyer about 2 months ago.And I did not give it waterlike peole say.Now it is turning yellow.What can I do to hepl it come back alive?
Well,from what I have read.It says do not give it water.If thats the case.I will do what you say.Thank you very much.Oh another question.I have been useing F-11 plant food on all my other plants.And boy can I see them GROW.Think it is ok to give my air fern some of it to?Thanks again.
shelly
water when soil gets dry.they might be air ferns but they do have to get water.indoors air conditioning removes most humidy from the air.and as far as i know you dont need to fertilize.at least i never have any of mine and they are doing well
"Asparagus ferns such as the Sprenger fern (sometimes sold in spring as"sprengeri"), Myers fern, and Plumosa fern are not really ferns at all. Named for their fern-like, feathery foliage, they're actually close relatives of the asparagus we eat, and as such, grow best in bright sunlight. Commonly kept outdoors in summer, they often suffer from inadequate light in winter, elongating and dropping many of their tiny leaf-like structures. "
this is an asparagus fern not an air fern. Air Plants do not grow, air ferns do, asparagus plants need conditions any other fern needs; moist well drained soil.
THIS IS NOT A FERN.
THIS HAS NEVER BEEN A FERN.
THIS WILL NEVER BE A FERN.
Now, aside from the former unpleasantries, I'll try to remain as civil as possible in the following statements. First of all, whoever told you that it doen't need water is either an idiot, a sleazy dealer, a total knob, or just 'some other kind' of yobbo.
This is a living thing, a plant, in fact, which does require water, just like everything else alive on the planet... This isn't nuclear fission here, it's an asparagus. It's a plant. It needs light and water. Fertiliser should be fine, just don't over-do it. New soil and a new pot are great and all, but you are still going to kill it with great rapidity if you don't actually water it...
Even if it were actually any kind of 'air plant,' an epiphyte, it still would need to draw its moisture from the air. We may have 100%+ humidity here in Houston, but I somehow doubt that Washington is quite as conducive as all that.
Futher, I should make the recommendation that it should never, under any circumstances, be referred to as an 'air plant' or an 'air fern,' especially.
Certain sleazy Marketing wankers have decided it would be a capital idea to harvest a coral cousin from the North Sea, dry it, dye it, and then pot it up and sell it off as an 'air fern.'
What, the North Sea that I can hear on stormy nights? I can't think they're licenced to do that, there's been a lot of excitement about the coral in the North Sea recently, and it must be one of the most heavily monitored areas of water around because of all the oil.
Thieving hounds, as well as all the other things you said.
Obviously this question was asked some time ago.
I recently was trying to look up info for my daughter's Tilandsia and found these troublsome threads and seeing that they were being posted and accessed by people who do not have botanical masters degrees, I used the common names for them.
That plant has always been refered to commonly as an Asparagus or Plumosa fern.
I know what a fern is... do the people looking for the care of this plant care? I think they just want the plant to live. Your correction of my jargon may only confuse them.
You seem to be taking offence where none was intended. I'm not entirely certain where you're coming from about it being an 'old thread,' as you were the one that resurrected it. Quite simply, if someone knows they have an 'air fern,' and they need care instructions, a simple search through any of the numerous search engines provided free of charge on the internet would surely be more educational that a simple, cop-out post on a forum. Further, I would suggest that my correction of your 'jargon' will do nothing to confuse anyone, but that your continual use of the jargon is in fact perpetuating confusion.
I, of all people, have no problem whatsoever freely sharing information. However, I will not stand for misconceptions, falsehoods, and out-right incorrect information to be passed along like a collection plate in church.
The plant in question is an Asparagus, as you noted. It has nothing to do with ferns, now or ever, and as someone who's spent the better part of a decade studying them, I do feel an obligation to point out the fact that it isn't. I may have been short in my response, but I have left no doubt about the situation.
The thing that was called "air fern" in the trade was actually the the dried skeletons of an sea creature died green. It was not alive.
Your plant is actually Asparagus plumosa, an actual live plant.
Asparagus are called "Asparagus fern" in the horticultural trade but they are actually flowering plants not true ferns at all. Calling them ferns because of their feathery appearance is misleading because they are actually xerophytic plants and do best when given plenty of light and watered thoroughly and allowed to go dry between watering. Note that the plants have tuberous roots. They do not do well when kept constantly moist and in the shade as many true ferns prefer. Still the plants do need to be watered thoroughly at least weekly. A couple of drops of water is not enough. Once the old stem dies they will not regrow but there will be new growth from the center to replace them.
