Conditions for Growth and Taste of Asparagus
The particular taste of asparagus develops in correlation to the quality of the soil, the water, and the exposure to direct sunlight. Since the subterranean shoot (known as white asparagus) is being cut and eaten as vegetable, the particular conditions for its growth are of great importance. The temperature of the soil has turned out to be a key factor. The weather defines the speed of the asparagus’ growth.
The build-up of the fibers (lignifications) has a profound effect on the tastiness of the asparagus. The intensity of the growth and the kind of species are also decisive factors. The speed of growth is itself dependant on the surrounding temperature.
The warmer the weather and the more the stalks have moved from the crowns, the faster the asparagus will grow. Lignifications of the basal parts of the stalks are therefore less likely at high temperatures, than it would be at lower temperatures. High temperatures and dryness result in increased lignifications. Cool and wet weather stimulates the deposit of fibers and the asparagus grows more slowly. It also develops les of the substances responsible for its taste. Thus, all factors with growth retarding effects lead to an increased development of fibers (lignification) of asparagus.
Asparagus starts growing once the temperature of the soil has reached 12 degrees Celsius. The ideal temperature to produce a delicious asparagus with a slightly sweet taste is an average 20 degrees Celsius. The asparagus’ sweet taste develops because of the many different compounds of sugar found in its contents. The carbohydrates won through the assimilation (build-up of sugar), are transported in the form of disaccharides and saccharine. Saccharine as disaccharide is a compound consisting of on fructose and one glucose molecule. The plant adapts these types of sugar to its surrounding conditions. The slightly sweet taste is therefore due to the existence of the many kinds of sugar, which are retained in the rhizomes and deposited in the shoot of the asparagus (the asparagus as we know it) in the event of growth.
A poet once coined the following saying:
“It makes me feel so proud to see the asparagus in Walbeck sprout.”
To ensure that we don’t have to refrain from the eating of asparagus in the future, emerging conflicts along the lines between economic and ecological perspectives should be settled by forging a comprehensive concept that allows for a protection of environment surrounding this agriculture from undesirable effects by sustainable planning. We as humans are responsible for the protection and conservation of nature.
Cultivation of Asparagus
Growers have tried repeatedly to enhance the different varieties of asparagus by crossbreeding and selection. Firm crowns and straight, but not too thin stalks, and early sprouting have defined their goals. Agriculturist (with diploma) and European asparagus breeder number one, August Huchel, was born in the district of Gardelegen (Altmark/ former GDR) in 1889. He worked as a teacher and studied agriculture at the universities of Halle, Königsberg, and Berlin in the 1920s. In 1927 he settled in Osterburg/Altmark as a grower of asparagus and founded the “Deutsche Spargelzucht-Gesellschaft Osterburg/Altm” (German Association for the Cultivation of Asparagus Osterburg/Altmark).
August Huchel devoted three decades of his life to solve the problem of how to make the growing of asparagus more profitable. Eventually, he was proud to present his own variety of asparagus, called “Huchels Hochzeit,” but his lifetime achievement came abruptly to and end when Soviet tanks made their way across his farming lands. In 1953 he escaped from the GDR and, by help of contacts to Western German colleagues, found a way to continue his work in the vegetables department of the Rhineland-Palatine Chamber of Agriculture. He settled in Walbeck and founded the “Deutsche Spargelzuchtstation Walbeck” (German Institute of Asparagus Growers Walbeck).
His achievements in the cultivation resulted in the patented asparagus variety called “Huchel’s Leistungsauslese” (a premium variety) which would become his last work. In 1963 he was killed in a car accident. The asparagus farmers of Walbeck had lost their esteemed “Father of the Asparagus.”
However, the cultivation has since then moved on. Modern ways of breeding result in ever new varieties of asparagus every year. Today’s asparagus must meet the following criteria:
High yield, a defined harvesting period, late aging, high grades, high quality of the stalks, closed crowns, an even diameter of about 16 to 26 mm, late lignification, and good resistances to diseases. But what counts most is its taste.
Foil Asparagus – Bringing Forward Harvesting Time
Even here in Walbeck, farmers try to bring the harvesting time of asparagus forward for about 2 to 3 weeks, depending o the sunlight. They wrap them into foils, so-called anti-condensation or anti-dew foils, to make the detection of the plant easier as no condensation obstructs the visibility.
Asparagus Season
The season of asparagus starts between Mid-April and the beginning of May, and ends on June 24, the Feast of St. John.
Harvesting of Asparagus
The course of centuries has not seen many changes in the way the asparagus is harvested. The cutting is still hard and strenuous manual labor. Because of this arduousness, finding workers is not an easy task. But also the seasonal character of this work makes it a complicated undertaking to find people willing to take on this job.