Today Vince needed to go to town because he read something that made him want to change the worm setup.
We were at Walmart and I told him I was going to the plant area and asked him to meet me out there. When he came out, he had a packet of rhubarb. He said “It’s the last one.” Hmm . . so leave it in case someone comes along that’s desperate for one rhubarb root!” Nope, we had to get it so I went straight and planted it. It seemed a little . . dead . . and I won’t be sad if it doesn’t grow. Another rhubarb plant popped up last night in the asparagus bed. With that one and the one Vince bought today, I counted and we now have 24 plants. Google tells me that we need 1 to 2 plants per person so, with 24 plants, we may have a few too many rhubarb plants. 🙂 No, you can never have too many rhubarb plants and since I have them all over the place, some are going to do better than others.
We really aren’t supposed to harvest rhubarb the first year but since I planted some of mine last year and since they grew and had some stalks that were big enough to harvest but I didn’t, I’ll harvest a few stalks from them this year but I won’t cut everything. The second year I can cut a bit more and the third year, I can harvest as much as I want but never take all the stems. Some places say to leave 6; some say to leave 8. Even though rhubarb will produce til nearly the end of the summer, what I’ve read says to harvest between May and late June because harvesting once it gets really hot can harm the plant. I have no idea what’s true . . I’ll do more research.
While at Walmart, I bought the rest of the vegetable plants I need. I also bought so pretty flowers that bees like so I can put them around the garden to aid in pollination.
I’m going to plant the herbs in the pots with three sections. I have mint, dill, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, oregano. That’s all I remember.
Last year we bought four hanging baskets – all with different plants. The lantana did the best so I’m going to replant all four baskets using the Dallas Red lantana.
I got 9 tomato plants planted today. Tomorrow I hope to re-pot the hanging baskets and get the herb pots planted.
Debra McIntosh says
funny, I love lantana but in Australia it is considered a noxious weed
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I was telling Vince today that in southwest Louisiana where I grew up, it’s a bit invasive. Here, it’s an annual.
Judy says
You cannot kill rhubarb!
And yes, you no doubt have more plants tham you’ll ever use …. But you’ll have plenty to share.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I don’t know. The afternoon sun has killed some of my friend’s so I’ve put all of mine where it has a bit of protection from the afternoon sun. Some has moe than others so we’ll see. I love plants I can’t kill.
Linda Enneking says
I think in a year or so you and Vince will be selling rhubarb at the farmer’s market, giving it away to friends and neighbors and still have way too much to use. I have always had plenty with one or two plants, even when all five of my kids were at home.
Tee says
I have 6 or 8 plants only because I always want to have a piece of the root that I originally got from my aunt and I give the roots away to anyone that needs some. It is MORE than enough. I freeze a lot of it and make sauce. I pull it all summer long, up to when it starts getting colder and the plants are starting to die off, usually early September. I have never lost a plant. I put composted manure on it in the spring and nothing after that. I don’t even water it. You can’t kill it.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Nice to know. Thanks so much!
Inka from Germany says
What I think is you shouldn´t cut the Rhubarb after the end of June because there is too much oxalic acid in the stems by then. Greetings from Germany
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I’ve heard that too but everything I’ve read on the internet says that isn’t true. Pretty much everything I’ve read says leaving the stalks after the end of June has more to do with benefiting the plant as it begins to store what it needs for winter survival. Some articles say the stalks will get more woody as the plants get less water in late summer but last year, since we had not had rhubarb in so long and our nice neighbor shared all he had, we ate it pretty much all through the summer.
Barbara says
Rhubarb is staple here in Minnesota, it seems like most houses have a few clumps. It’s definitely a thing here not to cut rhubarb after the 4th of July, it’s what we’ve always done. Rhubarb is for spring, I may freeze one bag to use in winter, but by July I’m ready for summer delights.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I freeze dried some last year and we ate on it til we used the last jar – I think it was about in February. I can’t imagine having it and not using it year round.
montanaclarks says
You do know you shouldn’t “cut” rhubarb don’t you? I learned the hard way–I cut mine and it didn’t reproduce that summer, I only got the first batch that grew. A friend told me to slide my hand down the stalk to its base and pull, not cut. Now I have rhubarb all summer.