Growing black salsify: sowing, care & harvest

Growing black salsify in your own garden: We present suitable varieties and give tips and tricks from sowing, care and fertilization to harvesting.

The name salsify (Scorzonera hispanica) is derived from the black skin of this tasty vegetable. The origin of the hardy root plant is assumed to be in the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and parts of North Africa. For many years, the good-tasting deep-rooted plant, also known as winter asparagus, has spread through Central Europe. There is a certain resemblance to oat root, but this one has a much worse quality. For this reason, this species is also less and less cultivated. The largest growing areas of black salsify are in France. The tasty root is also being cultivated more and more frequently in Germany and has a number of names preserved, for example garden black salsify, winter asparagus, Spanish or real black salsify or skorzen root. In English it is called scorzonera or black salsify. More and more supermarkets have fresh black salsify in their range throughout the winter. The black salsify is highly recommended for cultivation in the German garden. So you have a wonderful vegetable from your own garden even in the cold season without having to do a lot of work.

There are different types to choose from; a few popular ones, summarized here:

• Antonia: high yield, no branching of the long roots.
• duplex: long storability and high yield, variety with long and unbranched roots; excellent taste.
• Annual Giants: long, deep black roots, no branching in the roots; easy to harvest; good flavor.
• Hoffmann's black stake: great for storage; proven variety with longer roots and good aroma; easy harvesting; branched roots.
• meres: new variety; very productive with unbranched roots; robust against powdery mildew.
• Russian giants: traditional variety; Hardly any roots in loose soil.
• Black Peter: proven variety with good aroma; compact with high yields.
• Improved non-shooting giant: well-known variety with longer and smooth roots, unbranched; good flavor.
• Worship Reuzen Nietschieters: long roots, thick and hardly branched; high yield and easy to store.

Growing black salsify - this is how it works step by step:

1. The soil for cultivation should be prepared a little, for example with a peat-free and nutrient-rich vegetable soil like our Plantura Organic tomato & vegetable soil. Alternatively, compost can also be used.
2. Sowing can be done in the last weeks of April or in autumn. If you have enough space, you can also sow at the end of the year. Here it is important to note that the plants remain in the bed until the coming winter of the following year!
3. The distance between the individual plants should be about 15 cm, planted in a row 25 to 30 cm is sufficient.
4. The black salsify does not have any great requirements, except during dry summer days you should make sure that there is an adequate water supply.
5. The harvest can start from the end of October until November. During mild winter periods it is also possible to harvest the roots well into February. The shelf life is not very good, so the best place for the root is in the ground. So you can harvest as needed even after a longer period of time.

Important tip: Be careful when harvesting! Damaged roots quickly lose the valuable juice and become very wobbly as a result.

Root vegetables are extremely diverse and old species, like the almost forgotten one sugar root (Sium sisarum), are increasingly being cultivated in the garden again. Here you will find everything about the sweet root, its requirements and cultivation.