RHUBARB AND ITS CULTURE

Evening Star, Issue 20985, 26 December 1931, Page 13

RHUBARB AND ITS CULTURE

PRODUCING WORTH-WHILE STEMS. Rhubarb is acclaimed as an all-round favourite in the vegetable garden, and few homo plots there are, indeed, which do not boast a few plants of this palatable and health-giving dish (says the Hawke’s Bay ‘Tribune’). Too frequently, however, this “willing subject ” is left to eke out its own salvation. Being of a somewhat hardy disposition, it is oft-times denied the attention bestowed upon less valuable crops. Now it is very easy for anyone to keep pulling rhubarb week in and week out, but unless a little attention is occasionally bestowed upon it the day will assuredly come when you have the future of the crop to consider. When you pick rhubarb, you do not relieve the plant of fruit which burdens and exhausts it, but you actually deprive it of the leaves which are the very “life-workers” of the plant. Therefore, you would be well advised to have a care for the plant by allowing a fair percentage of stems _ to mature after each successive picking. But this is not all that is required to produce stout, juicy stems practically the whole year through. Rhubarb is a gross feeder, and will readily assimilate any liquid manures applies from time to time. Kitchen slops are excellent, but splendid results may be obtained by applying a regular weekly application of liquid organic manure. During dry weather a mulch of well decomposed Stable or cow manure is advised. Covering each plant with a petrol tin, with the top and bottom removed, is quite a commendable scheme, and certainly adds to the tenderness and also the flavour of the product. Don’t forget to cut off all the seed heads that develop. The formation of the flower and seed heads do more to exhaust the plant than even an extravagant plucking of the stems. Remove them as fast as they appear. Allow each plant of feeding space. Three feet apart is generally recommended, but we would rather advise four if space is available. Weeds, of course, must be kept down and the soil round the plants should be constantly stirred, so as to encourage a clean," healthy growth. A complete renewal of roots is advised every third season. . .

There arc many excellent varieties on the market, among which Sydney Winter retains pride of place. If you have not already made a planting, you would be well advised to hurry on with tho operation now.