The Easter holidays will probably come too early for most asparagus farmers in Saxony this year. After days of uncertainty, René Heidig from Nieschützer Spargelhof is certain: "We can't yet offer asparagus from our fields for the holidays." The weather has been too cool and rainy over the past few days, with temperatures dropping to minus degrees at night. In order to control the warming of the asparagus stems and thus the harvest volume, the company's ten hectare cultivation area is covered with foil. The work is now complete. "We're in the starting blocks," says Heidig. The hours of sunshine are still missing, "then nature will sort it out." This is not unusual, as the asparagus season usually begins around 20 April.
However, Jürgen Schulze from the Association of East German Asparagus and Berry Growers does not rule out the possibility of the first asparagus spears appearing around Easter in Saxony. "It varies greatly from region to region." In sheltered locations, for example, and with the help of modern cultivation systems, asparagus may well already be growing. The Easter weekend is set to be warm and sunny. "Then it can sometimes happen quickly, from one day to the next," said Schulze.
