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market-farming - Re: rhubarb

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  • From: Alex McGregor <waldenfarm AT sprintmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: rhubarb
  • Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2001 18:51:36 -0400


Liz,

You've found a treasure! Rhubarb is one of the great things to grow- and eat!
I first grew it in Cincinnati where the weather is cooler. When I moved back
to the Chattanooga area, everyone said it was too hot to grow it here- they
said it was impossible. Nothing like that word to get an old
hippie/iconoclast/stubborn organic farmer motivated. I've planted about 120
roots of Victoria variety- it doesn't get tough.

I find it sells REALLY well to Yankee transplants. It just isn't available in
the South. Rhubarb is in the dock family, originally from Siberia. Propagate
it by digging up the root in the very early spring before it starts growing
and
separate them. You can also let it go to seed and collect hundreds from one
plant. (Seed heads are usually cut off when they shoot up to get more &
bigger
leaves.)

Harvest it in spring when the stalks and leaves have reached their maximum
growth. Harvest by pulling outer stalks away from the crown- don't cut them
off. Leave the smaller inner stalks and leaves to replace these and grow
through summer. I harvest again right before the first hard freeze- they
would
be killed any way. I keep a pair of pruning shears in my pocket to cut off
leaves as I harvest and let them drop on the bed for mulch.

Many recipes on the we for rhubarb. One of my favorites is Strawberry Rhubarb
pie. The berries ripen about the same time as the rhubarb. Good Eating!

Alex McGregor
Walden Farm





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