What is asparagus and where does it grow: types and properties with photos

Now many people strive to eat right, one of the components of this lifestyle is eating asparagus. What is asparagus? This vegetable is very useful, it is interesting that there are more than 200 species of such a plant. You can buy asparagus at any time of the year, but it has a season: they start harvesting from the first days of April. In the rest of the year, this vegetable contains a smaller amount of vitamins. In this case, it is grown on an industrial scale. Where else does asparagus grow? You can also grow this vegetable in your own summer cottage, while you need to know a few points about asparagus and how to care for the planting.

Variety description

Asparagus is a very useful product, it is distinguished by the fact that it is easily absorbed by the body, contains a minimum of calories, a huge amount of vitamins and minerals. It also contains coarse fibers that have a beneficial effect on digestion.

Chemical composition

Asparagus is rich in a variety of chemical elements. It contains magnesium, which has a calming effect, and potassium, which provides a diuretic effect. In addition to these elements, the vegetable contains iodine, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

Asparagus also contains nicotinic acid, which has a beneficial effect on the body in the treatment and prevention of gout, hepatitis, atherosclerosis, cirrhosis of the liver. Nicotinic acid is very useful for women during breastfeeding and childbearing. Also, this chemical compound relieves vascular tension, pressure, and contributes to the normalization of blood circulation processes.

Asparagus contains a huge amount of folic acid, which has a beneficial effect on the body of a pregnant woman and on the development of the fetus. Also, this chemical compound has a positive effect on the circulatory system, prevents the development of liver pathologies.

In addition to these elements, the vegetable contains sodium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, calcium, beta-carotene. This composition determines the mass of useful qualities of asparagus.

What's good about asparagus?

Asparagus is a very useful vegetable for humans, and it is recommended to use it not only for adults, but also for children. Among the main advantages of a vegetable are:

• beneficial effect on the appearance: improvement of the structure of the skin, hair;
• calcium and phosphorus strengthen the human bone apparatus;
• asparagine dilates blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, removes ammonia from the body;
• asparagine also activates the heart, which is why asparagus is recommended to be eaten by people who have had a heart attack;
• iron and magnesium have a positive effect on hematopoietic function;
• zinc strengthens connective tissues, activates the healing of wound surfaces;
• potassium is a diuretic.

High vitamin C helps boost immunity.

Protein content

Depending on the variety of asparagus, the amount of protein contained in the plant may vary slightly. On average, there are 2.2 grams of protein per 100 grams of vegetable.

Vitamin content

Also, this vegetable contains a large amount of vitamins. Among them are: B1, B2, B9, C, A, PP. In addition to these vitamins, the vegetable contains provitamin A, which has a beneficial effect on vision and improves skin condition.

Calories

Asparagus is considered the best ingredient not only for second courses, side dishes, but also for salads. Such a widespread use of the vegetable is due not only to its taste, but also to its low calorie content. After all, 100 grams of asparagus contains only 20 calories. Moreover, the calorie content of the dry product sold in stores remains the same.

Asparagus seeds

Asparagus seeds are widely used to grow the plant. It is worth considering that when simply sowing dry material, the seeds germinate for a very long time, so it is recommended to soak them before sowing.

Besides direct sowing into the soil, seeds can be used to grow seedlings. In this case, a developed plant can be obtained faster.

Asparagus leaves

Asparagus asparagus is characterized by oblong leaf blades with a slight sharpening and a pronounced central vein. The leaves are dark green, glossy.

Sprenger variety is characterized by flattened leaf blades. At the same time, the leaves resemble Christmas trees

The leaf plates of Asparagus crescent have a shape corresponding to its name. It's slightly ruffled on the edge. The color of the leaves is bright, green.

Asparagus roots and rhizome

In addition to the stems and fruits of asparagus, you can also eat its roots. The rhizomes of medicinal asparagus are mainly used for the treatment of joints. This is due to the fact that they contain asparagine, steroid saponins, coumarins, carotenoids. Rhizomes are harvested in the autumn, when the aerial part begins to fade.

Asparagus stems

Stems of Asparagus asparagus curly or creeping. The shoots of the Sprenger variety are long, they can reach a length of 1.5 meters, the shoots can be erect or penetrating.

The thickest and longest stems are Asparagus crescent. If grown in a greenhouse, the plant can reach a height of 4 meters. If this plant grows in natural conditions, it can grow up to 15 meters.

Asparagus berries

Asparagus asparagus berries are red in color and small in size. This plant blooms with small whitish bells.

After the flowering of the Sprenger variety, a large number of red berries are formed. At the same time, the fruits have the character of drupes.

Asparagus crescent berries are brown. They form as soon as the plant finishes producing white flowers.

Asparagus juice

Asparagus juice is a very he althy drink, which contains a large amount of lutein. This substance actively fights atherosclerotic plaques, and drinking a drink can completely replace drug therapy.

Also, the juice contains the alkaloid asparagine, which lowers blood pressure, normalizes the functioning of the liver, tones the vascular system, and normalizes the heart rhythm. In addition to these beneficial qualities, the product has all the advantages ordinary vegetable.

Types of asparagus

There are a huge number of asparagus species. Each of them has its own features, features. Some of them are grown for ornamental purposes, while others are used for medicinal and food purposes. In cooking, the herbal type of asparagus is used, due to the fact that they are characterized by their excellent taste.

White Asparagus

This kind is the most delicious. Asparagus grows without light, which causes its shoots to turn white. White asparagus is rich in calcium and potassium, vitamins A, B and C.

Green

This is the most common type. In terms of taste, it is not inferior to the white variety. This species is rich in selenium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A and B.

Purple

This variety is very interesting due to the fact that it grows in complete darkness. In this case, the plant is given short-term light sessions. The purple look is slightly bitter. When cooked, the vegetable changes color towards greenish.

Red

Red asparagus is not a separate vegetable. Sometimes this is the name of its purple variety.

Soy Asparagus

Soy asparagus is a product of processing soybeans. It is prepared as follows:

1. The bean mass is soaking.
2. Then she is placed under the press, dressed with soy milk.
3. Next, the resulting mass is subjected to boiling. As a result of this process, a film is formed on the surface, which received the name of soy asparagus.

This product has a positive effect on the body during the prevention of cancer, osteoporosis.

Bean

Another name for this variety is asparagus beans. Her beans can be yellow, red. Such a product is considered an excellent component of dietary nutrition, as it contains easily digestible protein.

Marine

This type of asparagus grows on the sea coast, s alt marshes. Sea asparagus contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, sea s alt. This species has a s alty taste with hints of iodine.

Varieties

There are several varieties of asparagus. Each of them has its own differences and characteristics.

Slava Braunschweig

The pulp of the shoots of this variety is white, while it is juicy. Planting forms a huge number of shoots, which is why this variety is considered highly productive. The shoots are mainly used for canning.

Argentelle early

This variety is distinguished by large juicy shoots that have a light shade. Stems turn greenish purple when exposed to light.

Early yellow

This variety is characterized by greenish-yellow shoots. Such a vegetable is ideal for canning.

Mary Washington

This variety has beautiful shoots with a delicate texture. Shoots have a pleasant taste. The shoot head is colored red-violet.

Snow head

This variety is distinguished by the fact that it forms sharp shoots, at the end of which there is a whitish head. The product can be consumed fresh. It is also ideal for canning.

Cropping

This variety is distinguished by the formation of a large number of large shoots. The head has a dense structure, painted in a pinkish hue. The color of the flesh may be white or yellowish.

Royal

This variety is tall. It can reach 1.7 meters in length. The shoots are distinguished by a small diameter, the pulp is tender, whitish.

Dutch Green

This variety has a high yield, its shoots are painted in a greenish tint. The product has a delicate taste without bitterness.

Growing regions

Asparagus is a plant that is grown almost everywhere. When growing it, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the variety. This approach will allow you to get the maximum yield.

If cultivation is carried out in central Russia, the following varieties should be preferred:

• Argentelian.
• Ginelim.
• Harvest.
• Mary Washington.

You can also pay attention to the high-yielding variety Brock Imperial.

Growing from seeds

Asparagus seeds are characterized by slow germination. To speed up this process, you need to know a few rules.

1. In early April, the seed material is soaked for 2 days in warm water. A small amount of growth stimulator should be added to the liquid.
2. Then the seeds are sown in a soil mixture of garden soil, sand, manure, peat. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the proportions 2:1:1:1.
3. Then the seeds are sprinkled with 1 centimeter of soil. The soil is sometimes sprayed to keep it from drying out.

Seeds should be germinated at a temperature of 25 to 27 degrees Celsius. The material will germinate only after 1.5 months. It is necessary to transplant the resulting seedlings into the ground from mid-June.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

The best way to propagate asparagus is to divide the bush. The bush should be divided so that each part has at least 1 shoot.

Division can be done in spring, autumn, summer. It is best to divide the bush during its transplantation.

Propagation by cuttings

In the period from March to June, cuttings are cut off from the shoots grown last year, which are planted in moistened sand. This is necessary to start the processes of formation of the root system. From above, the landing is covered with a plastic dome.

Plantings are regularly ventilated and irrigated. Rooting takes an average of 1 month.

Forcing asparagus in winter

Asparagus can be grown not only in summer, but also in winter. To do this, it is necessary to plant a plant in a greenhouse structure. In winter, the vegetable is grown according to the method of forcing shoots from the roots of 5-6-year-old plant crops.

Landing

Asparagus should be planted in a well-lit area where weeds do not grow. The soil should be sandy, as it is in such conditions that the plant gives the maximum yield.

Spring Landing

Asparagus is planted in early spring. In this case, the landing must be made until the kidneys begin to grow actively. Before planting, humus is introduced into the ground at the rate of: 10 kilograms of fertilizer per 1 square meter. Between the rows you need to leave a gap of 0.6 meters. No more than 4 plants should be planted on a 30-centimeter ridge. After planting, the plants are watered abundantly.

Autumn planting

Before the autumn planting, you need to prepare the soil. For this, the bed is dug up, fertilized. For 1 square meter of soil, you need to add:

• 60 grams of superphosphate;
• 20 grams of ammonium sulfate;
• 30 grams of potassium sulfate.

When planting, the plant does not deepen, and a hillock is formed above it, which will protect the planting from the cold.

Open ground

In open ground conditions, the crop is planted according to the above instructions. At the same time, all recommendations for fertilizing the soil, the distance between plants and beds are necessarily followed.

In the greenhouse

Greenhouse used for growing asparagus in winter.

1. In October, the roots are dug up, cleaned in the basement with a temperature index of 0-2 degrees.
2. In early December, the roots are planted in a greenhouse structure.
3. Landing is done in small containers, 18-20 rhizomes need to be planted per 1 square meter.
4. Planting is sprinkled with humus, containers are covered with black film.

The temperature in the greenhouse is kept at 10 degrees for 7 days, and then it gradually rises to 18.

Care

To get a he althy plant, a rich harvest, you need to take good care of asparagus:

• You need to water the plant little by little, avoiding stagnant water;
• loosen the ground after each watering;
• one month after planting, the plant should be watered with mullein, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5;
• after harvesting, the crop needs to be fertilized with 30 grams of superphosphate, urea and potassium s alt;
• after harvesting, it is necessary to level the ridges of the plant;
• fed asparagus in summer with 10% bird droppings;
• last top dressing - in July is to apply complex fertilizer.

In autumn, before frost, all stems are removed, the bottom of the plant is spudded, covered with peat or compost. The height of such a shelter should be 5 centimeters.

Diseases and pests

Asparagus is a fairly disease-resistant plant. But it can be affected by the following pathologies and pests:

• fungal diseases;
• leaf beetles;
• asparagus flies.

In order to prevent the death of the plant, the planting should be regularly inspected for the appearance of putrefactive spots, discoloration of the stems, damage to the leaves and shoots.

Healing properties

In addition to the pleasant taste, asparagus also has medicinal qualities. Interestingly, this plant is able to improve the he alth of people of both sexes.

For men

Asparagus is very he althy for men.

1. It helps reduce hangovers, protects liver cells from toxins.
2. It has a beneficial effect in the treatment of prostatitis.
3. Provides prevention of diseases and inflammations of the urinary system.

When Pregnant

Asparagus has a beneficial effect on the body of a pregnant woman. It protects it from beriberi, maintains the beauty and elasticity of the skin. It also contributes to the proper development of the fetus, its skeletal system, as well as saturation with essential trace elements and vitamins.

With diabetes

Asparagus lowers blood sugar levels, which is why it is recommended for people with diabetes. With regular use of this product, the process of insulin production is normalized.

Contraindications

Asparagus has a small number of contraindications. Among them, only the presence of gastrointestinal pathologies and individual intolerance to this product stands out.

Collection

Asparagus can only be harvested 4 years after planting. Shoots are collected at the moment when they begin to lift the soil crust. Most often, this process begins in May or April.

Storage

The harvested crop should be stored in a dark, cool place. The best option is the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, where it can keep its freshness for 3 months. You can also put a wooden box with the harvest in the cellar, where there is good ventilation.

Freeze

It is best to eat the vegetable fresh, but it can also be frozen. In this case, the shoots must be spread out on a flat surface and put in the freezer. When they are frozen, they should be removed and quickly put into a plastic bag. The folded frozen crop is returned to the freezer. Such freezing allows you to get a product that does not stick together.

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