Hello Friends,
Today I will be sharing the article I wrote for our local newspaper, Cameron Chronicle, "The Little Paper with Personality."
I started writing for the Cameron Chronicle June 2021. This may be the last article published in print form. Marty the owner of the paper informed me the March issue may be the last printed issue of the Cameron Chronicle. She is having trouble locating affordable printing.
There will be NO printed April issue of the Cameron Chronicle. Marty will share my April article on the Cameron Chronicle Facebook Page
in the meantime, here is the article I wrote for March.
Rhubarb
By Carla TePaske of Cameron, WI ~ The Little Garden That Could
Rhubarb is an early bird surprise for us gardeners. It is cut and come again. We use it in sweet and savory dishes. Rhubarb is incredibly long lived. Once established, it grows happily in the same spot year after year.
Rhubarb is good for us. It is particularly high in vitamin C and fiber.
The best way to plant rhubarb is to plant rhubarb crowns. Rhubarb is greedy, work mulch into the soil and around the planting. Wait two or three years for the plant to get established before harvesting.
If you spot a towering flower plume, pick it, the plume may reduce your crop.
The best way to harvest rhubarb is to run your finger down the groove of the stem until you reach the root. Give a gentle tug and it will come off in your hands, leaving any buds forming just below your mature stem to develop into the next crop. For the plants sake, do not over pick, leave some of the stems. A general rule is pick ⅔ of the stems, leaving ⅓.
Until next time, happy gardening!
Is your rhubarb up already?! Wow, not here! I'm hoping to get a new plant this year but I worry a little about these "Jumping Worms" I'm reading about. Have you heard of those? The next town over from me has a community garden and I observed someone digging these things up. It was horrible! They evidently live in the top 4" of soil and they change the texture of the soil and multiply like crazy. I'm hesitant to buy or trade any plants that are in pots. Not sure if they're everywhere but I think they're moving further north as the climate changes. Sigh... Jan in MA
ReplyDeleteVery interesting about Rhubarb. Good tips. Sorry about the paper not being published in print form anymore and can only be on line. Have a good week and Happy Easter. Hugs. Kris
ReplyDeleteA good article about rhubarb, Carla. I learned a few things too. I love rhubarb pie, but I've never actually tasted the whole stem of it. Kind of looks like celery, but I know it tastes very different. You are a great gardener, my friend, and a dedicated one as well. You grow all things with love and care.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Rhubarb has always fascinated me. We used to have a bunch of it growing in our yard and we always treated it as a weed. My parents knew you could eat it, but I never did until my grandmother would come to visit and say she would make a rhubarb pie...and I thought she was kidding!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know any of this about Rhubarb. It is very pretty in it's natural state. Believe it or not, I have never tried it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I have had rhubard in the past but haven't had it in years. I remember it being delicious. I think I had a rhubard pie.
ReplyDeleteMy Rhubarb is up and growing (for a couple of weeks now)! Of course, I won't harvest it for a few weeks, but I was just thinking how I might make a pie from some of last year's frozen Rhubarb. :)
ReplyDeleteI made the pie and it was tasty, but a little runny with the frozen fruit. I probably won't do that again. And to answer your question, no I've never forced rhubarb. It's ready in late spring/early summer, and lasts for several weeks. After that, we've had and harvested so much...I haven't felt a need to force it.
DeleteI love rhubarb, it does not seem to grow well here where I live now after retirement from the upper midwest-now in sw missouri. I found an old package of rhubarb seeds in my seeds stash so giving it a go My Mom made the best strawberry rhubarb pies
ReplyDeleteI have never seen or tasted Rhubarb, as I'm guessing it doesn't grow her in Texas. I'm not sure. I've always heard of Rhubarb pie...sounds good.
ReplyDeleteYum! I love rhubarb treats!
ReplyDeleteI cannot grow anything except weeds but I'll never forget the first time in my life I encountered rhubarb. I was married and we were in Ohio visiting my in-laws, when my mother-in-law made a rhubarb pie. I was leery but she encouraged me to taste it, and it really tasted good. Of course, I think she was incapable of making anything that didn't taste good, haha! xoxo
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