Wasabi is difficult to grow in this country. Anyone who can still keep the plant alive and possibly get it to grow lushly can look forward to the well-deserved harvest. So that nothing goes wrong, we explain how to do it correctly.
How do you harvest wasabi correctly?
To harvest wasabi, dig up the plant, remove soil and fine roots, peel and finely grate the rhizome. Side sprouts can be separated beforehand and replanted. Leaves and flowers are also edible, but become spicier later in the year.
It takes time until it can be harvested
A small seedling, with which the cultivation of wasabi in this country usually begins, takes a lot of time to grow underground. It takes two or three years for a usable rootstock to form. Whether there is a sizable 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
- under a blanket of leaves or bark mulch
- Winter pots frost-free in winter quarters
- Always moist soil around the roots, but no waterlogging
- a nutrient addition every spring
Tip
Wasabi forms a long taproot. In order for this to grow in a pot culture, the pot should be at least 30 cm deep.
Harvesting roots
If possible, wait until the day you want to turn the root into a paste and consume it. It would be a shame if, after such a long wait, it had to sit in the fridge for a few more days. A prepared paste also quickly loses its intense taste and spiciness. When harvesting, do the following:
- Removing the potted plant from the pot
- Dig up planted plant deeply
- Shake off the earth
- Remove the rootstock from fine roots and stems
- then clean, peel and process (grate very finely)
Tip
You can store a freshly harvested root in the refrigerator for up to four weeks if necessary. To do this, it is placed in a glass of water, which is changed every two days.
Those who are patient can wait for the side sprouts first
After a while, wasabi plants sprout small side shoots that can develop into independent plants. Wait until these side shoots appear before harvesting the large root. After you have dug up the plant, you can separate it from the large rootstock and replant it while you further 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 and try a few leaves and flowers in the meantime. But be careful: the later in the year the harvest takes place, the spicier these parts of the plant are!
