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| April 6, 2011 - Rhubarb emerging. |
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| May 1, 2011- Rhubarb about 2 feet tall. |
Rhubarb is easy to grow and has a tangy, zippy flavor when used in cooking. You can have a neighbor share a start with you or invest in a plant from a garden center. Either way you will have oodles of rhubarb for years to come.
Rhubarb loves sun so plant it in a sunny location. Once it is established with water and sun it will take off. As you can see in the top picture I have a drip line to my rhubarb and it is great! I just cut rhubarb when I need it. Other than that I completely ignore it until the fall when it is time to remove the dead stems that have died back.
The large (usually a foot or two across) leaves are a beautiful green and the stems are variegated green and red or bright red depending on the variety. This great plant adds variety of size, leaf texture and color to your landscape. It can be planted by itself in an otherwise hard to use space that just grows weeds, among the flowers in a bed or in your vegetable garden. Any way you plant it, rhubarb adds to the beauty of your yard and to your edible landscape! Plant some today!
By the middle to end of May rhubarb is ready to eat. It is often the first harvest from your backyard garden. Start a new Memorial Day tradition by making a great rhubarb recipe.
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| May 15, 2011- Rhubarb is about 3 ft. tall and about 4 ft. across. |
Rhubarb is really classified as a vegetable, because it is the stem of the plant but it is used in cooking more like a fruit. If you buy rhubarb in the store it is usually several dollars a pound. For the limited work it takes, home grown rhubarb is a great deal!
The rhubarb in this picture to the left is ready to use. I made my first rhubarb cake yesterday.It was great!
The rhubarb in this picture to the left is ready to use. I made my first rhubarb cake yesterday.It was great!
