Thursday, September 15
Rhubarb is a fine vegetable that can be planted in your kitchen garden.
It is also sometimes considered as a fruit because of its usage.
Rhubarb plant has triangular leaves and red colored stem. It is a seasonal plant and sometimes it is difficult to obtain fresh rhubarb in winter season.
Rhubarb is widely used for medicinal and culinary purposes. Pies and Tarts made of rhubarb are really popular and everyone enjoys them.
Rhubarb can grow in cold weather of below 90 °F. It is grown mostly in the Northern United States and Canada. It is quite adaptable and can grow in most soils however; a well drained and fertile soil can really enhance its growth. Rhubarb can be propagated from crowns which consist of fleshy rhizomes and buds. For these buds to stimulate growth weather conditions of below 40 °F are favorable. They can also be grown from seeds that can be obtained from a local nursery stock. However, the seed germination takes a little longer to produce the stalks, so it is advisable to buy plants from the nursery for your garden.
Choose the right spot in your garden and prepare the soil for planting. Rhubarb should be planted in late autumn to early winter season. It is advisable to divide the crop during winter season when it is in dormancy. You can create three to four separate plants by splitting the crowns. This practice keeps the plants healthy and you can increase the production.
Rhubarb can suffer from fungal and bacterial diseases. If you see the infection appearing you should remove the stock. Infected plants can be identified by browning and softening of crowns. If the plants are seriously damaged then it is advisable to dig them up and destroy in order to avoid the infection from spreading to the other surrounding plants.
The key to having healthy rhubarb plants is to plant them in well drained and fertile soil. Remove all the unnecessary weeds that tend to grow along with your plants.
