asparagus fern

ASK THE EXPERTS

Q - My 15-year-old asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’) turned to straw this summer. Any suggestions on what I should do?

A - Michelle Anderson, a University of Arizona Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Master Gardener, suggests cutting back the dead foliage, covering the plant with shade cloth, and, depending on how your soil retains moisture, watering to a depth of 1 foot twice a week. It would be helpful to fertilize lightly once a month until you begin to see new growth. The fern may revive as the heat abates. However, it is a perennial plant, which doesn’t live forever. Fifteen years may have been its life span.