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  • From: Toby Hemenway <hemenway@jeffnet.org>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] rhubarb
  • Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 12:37:30 -0700

Any experiences with rhubarb as an understory plant in food forests ?
I wonder if the toxicity of leaves inhibits growth of other plants.

I've got lots of rhubarb growing as a guild plant, in full-sun polycultures, and I also use it as part of a grass barrier that includes yarrow, comfrey, clover, and datura (very effective at stopping grass). It does prefer full sun over the shade of a tree guild, but it still grows okay in art shade. I've never seen any toxic effects; everything growing around it does just fine.. The toxin in rhubarb is, I believe, oxalic acid, which is tough on people but is easily broken down by soil organisms.

Toby
_____________________________________________
For a look at my book on ecological gardening,
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, visit
http://www.chelseagreen.com/Garden/GaiasGarden.htm


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