When harvesting asparagus, I keep hearing that you are supposed to "break it off at ground level" and that it snaps real easily. What precisely does that mean? Usually it snaps a half inch below or above ground level, and sometimes ain't as easy to snap as people make it sound.
It also leaves little stems there that seem to just die (wasting plant energy?) and occupy space where new shoots could come up, even a year or two later.
Instead, I find I can gently twist the the asparagus and they pop right out. Here's what twisting them out looks like when harvested:
Does pulling the white part out damage the plant or reduce growth?
(I just cut the white off before eating or cooking it.)