It takes time to harvest
A little Saplingwith which the Cultivation of wasabi usually begins in this country, it takes a lot of time with its underground growth. It takes two or three years for a usable rhizome to form. Whether there will be a respectable harvest at all depends on the living conditions of the plant. This is how she should have it:
- shady in summer
- at temperatures between 7 and 20 ° C
- protected in winter
- leaves or bark mulch under a blanket
- Frost-free pots in winter quarters overwinter
- always moist soil around the roots, but no waterlogging
- a nutrient addition every spring
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Tips
Wasabi forms a long taproot. So that this can also grow in a pot culture, the pot should be at least 30 cm deep.
Harvest the rhizome
If possible, wait until the day you want to process the root into a paste and eat it. It would be a shame if you had to wait a few more days in the refrigerator after waiting so long. A prepared paste also quickly loses its intense taste and sharpness. When harvesting, do the following:
- Take the potted plant out of the pot
- Dig up the planted plant deeply
- Shake off the earth
- Remove fine roots and stems from the rhizome
- then clean, peel and process (grate very finely)
Tips
A freshly harvested root can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four weeks if necessary. To do this, it is placed in a glass with water, which is changed every two days.
The patient can wait for the side shoots first
After a while, wasabi plants sprout small side shoots that can develop into independent plants. Wait until these side shoots show up before harvesting the large root. After you have dug up the plant, you can separate it from the large rootstock and plant it again while you continue to process the harvested rootstock for culinary purposes.
Leaves and flowers are also edible
If you don't want to wait for the rootstock, you can harvest a few leaves and flowers and try them. But be careful: the later in the year the harvest, the hotter these parts of the plant are!
