3. Good Organic Gardening - May-June 2016 AvxHome.in
3. Good Organic Gardening - May-June 2016 AvxHome.in
3. Good Organic Gardening - May-June 2016 AvxHome.in
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FAMILY HEIRLOOMS | Rhubarb<br />
W<strong>in</strong>ter Wonder<br />
Rhubarb stalks are known as petioles<br />
crown rot so if dra<strong>in</strong>age is poor, grow it on<br />
mounds or <strong>in</strong> raised beds.<br />
Plant crowns so they are covered<br />
with just a few centimetres of soil and<br />
water well dur<strong>in</strong>g dry weather. Feed<br />
plants regularly with a complete organic<br />
liquid food that encourages good stem<br />
development and top up garden beds with<br />
compost each year <strong>in</strong> spr<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Harvest<br />
Because rhubarb is a perennial, you can look<br />
forward to years of copious harvests. But<br />
you will need to exercise a bit of patience.<br />
Harvest rhubarb only very lightly <strong>in</strong> the<br />
first year and prune out any flower stems<br />
that develop. By year two or three, you’ll be<br />
pick<strong>in</strong>g a healthy crop of stalks for cakes,<br />
pies and crumbles.<br />
A homegrown crop of rhubarb is worth<br />
the wait. Just remember to never harvest<br />
more than half of the stems at one time.<br />
It’s best to harvest the stems by hand. Just<br />
grab the stalk nice and low and pull so you<br />
don’t leave a stub beh<strong>in</strong>d that could rot.<br />
For more <strong>in</strong>formation, diggers.com.au<br />
Sometimes known as the pie<br />
plant rhubarb is delicious <strong>in</strong><br />
pies and crumbles<br />
CanStockPhoto<br />
24 | <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Organic</strong> <strong>Garden<strong>in</strong>g</strong>
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