Asparagus spines are a very valuable and tasty vegetable for some people. Unfortunately, their prices are usually quite high, which does not always go hand in hand with quality.Asparagus spouts gulp quickly if not stored and sold under the right conditions.Growing conditions also have a significant impact on the quality of asparagus - with too little water it becomes fibrous and more bitter in taste.
The turn of April and May is the time of harvesting asparagus, but the season for them lasts too long. It depends on the age of the plantation.Asparagus, as a perennial plant, is cultivated for 10-12 years on the same site, but the first harvest can be carried out only in the third year after the plantation was established. Then they can last up to 3 weeks, while from older plants, spikes can be obtained for 5-6 weeks.
White tabs growing without access to light are more delicate in taste, but their nutritional value is lower than green tabs.These, in turn, are collected only after they have risen above the soil surface, which is true is mainly related to the content of vitamin C (on average 30 mg / 100 g of fresh weight) and carotenes. Asparagus is one of the richest vegetables in vitamins B1 and B2. They are also low in calories: 100 g of spikes is only 18-20 kcal.
For those who want to grow asparagus on their own, the end of April is the last call for sowing seeds to obtain seedlings.Due to poor water permeability, seeds only sprout after 5-6 weeks, however, this can be sped up a bit by soaking them for 2-3 days in warm water at 25-30 ° C before sowing.
Let's accelerate the growth of vegetables
The long period of emergence and the large spacing (30-35x15 cm) means that it is necessary to take care of the regular removal of weeds from the beds. Only in autumn we prepare a place for proper cultivation, which should be fed with compost in the amount of 4-5 kg per m² and shallowly dug.In spring the soil here has to be deeply dug and ruffled to obtain a good structure.
Asparagus seedlings obtained from last year's sowing should be planted at a distance of 100x100 cm, placing them in holes with a diameter of 40 cm and a depth of about 15 cm.The stumps should be completely covered with soil and mounds should be created above them.However, we will not be able to enjoy the first harvest until 3 years, so for now, we must be satisfied with the asparagus we buy.
