Rhubarb cultivation and care

Rhubarb is a fairly nutritious and very tasty plant, which is not particularly popular with modern gardeners. One way or another, any variety of rhubarb is very unpretentious to absolutely any growing conditions, and from that it can attract attention. If you still take care of rhubarb, then it can grow for more than one year, but several years, and at the same time give an excellent, tasty and, most importantly, healthy harvest.

Introduction

Since rhubarb is a rather specific plant, it can grow throughout the year, and accordingly, the gardener can also enjoy rhubarb at any time of the year, since the harvest is really excellent. In this article, we will dwell in more detail on what plant varieties exist, how to plant rhubarb correctly, and how to care for it in such a way as to get the indicated high yield, and at the same time be able to spend not much time on plants, supporting its main vital functions.

Varieties of rhubarb

Rhubarb belongs to perennial plants, which, at the same time, are distinguished by a strong and extensive root system, and its stems are just as powerful. They have a slightly reddish tint, the stems can reach several meters in length, which makes the plant quite sprawling. The leaves that are located at the very bottom of the bush are always larger, but the rest may not be so massive and large. The plant differs in that it has a fairly short vegetative period. At the same time, you can achieve a very bountiful harvest, and this, of course, is a huge plus.

The gardener usually eats fleshy rhubarb stalks, and they are sour in taste, have a bright apple flavor and aroma. Also, rhubarb contains a fairly high index of vitamins, especially vitamin C, carotene and sugar. Therefore, rhubarb is very useful not only fresh, but also for making rhubarb jam. Yes, gardeners have long adapted this plant in order to prepare jams and jams, which are distinguished by a bright rich taste and aroma, are incredibly beneficial to human health.

To date, breeders have bred more than fifty varieties of rhubarb, each of which has its own traits and properties. It should also be pointed out that most of the varieties grow directly in Asia, but today rhubarb has become so accustomed that it can grow completely in different regions of Russia, while not being the most whimsical plant, which is its plus.

In this article, we will look at the most popular rhubarb varieties that take root well in various regions. Among the varieties, we will highlight the following:

- ogre-13 - a variety of rhubarb, which belongs to the category of mid-season. At the same time, this rhubarb is distinguished by a bountiful harvest, which is undoubtedly a huge plus. The petioles are large in size, taste at a high level. It is also worth emphasizing that the variety is completely unpretentious, it requires the most standard conditions, if we talk about care measures, and in this case, a really decent harvest is obtained.

- Moscow-42 - an early ripe rhubarb variety. Its yield is exceptionally high, while it is worth pointing out that this variety can sometimes be a little more demanding if we are talking directly about care measures, so we should closely monitor it, and then the harvest will not be long in coming. Rhubarb can also be eaten fresh and used in a wide variety of dishes.

- large-stemmed rhubarb variety Is an early maturing rhubarb variety that also has a very high yield. The variety has a high level of immunity, it is completely insensitive to diseases and bacteria, and can also withstand temperature extremes, and reacts normally to low temperatures. One way or another, but the variety, with all its advantages, is distinguished by excessive sensitivity and exactingness to the soil on which it has to carry out its vital activity and grow. The petioles are very tender on the inside, they can be used both fresh and for preparing a wide variety of dishes. A slight sourness only gives an additional pleasant aftertaste, which, of course, is incredibly pleasant

- early red - from the name it is already possible to understand that, in general, this variety of rhubarb can grow and ripen quite early. The petioles are very long, while strong and dense. Their color can be bright, red, unlike other varieties, where only not very bright reddish stripes are visible on the roots. The variety is very suitable for growing in different regions.

- tiguan rhubarb - the plant is very large in size, and its rhizome is used not only for preparing various dishes, but also very popular in the medical field. For example, rhubarb of this variety is excellent for treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as for treating diseases of the gallbladder.

In general, many gardeners also prefer to experiment with other varieties, but in many respects they generally coincide, since they are unpretentious, not capricious. Rhubarb is very tasty, it is good for human health, bears fruit abundantly, and all these factors make it one of the most popular plants, but not the most popular.

Planting and caring for rhubarb

Even despite the fact that rhubarb is not a capricious plant that does not put forward any special requirements for growth and development, it is still worth noting that the soil should always be carefully prepared, since it will depend on the state of the soil what abundance will be harvest. The site may not be the most illuminated, since rhubarb, in principle, can grow in partial shade, but the soil must be fertile. The soil should be moderately moist, and ideally, rhubarb can take root well and then bear fruit in loams, where there is no pronounced groundwater. It is also recommended to saturate the soil with organic fertilizers, since organic matter contains a sufficient amount of components and substances that help the plant to give excellent results, if we talk directly about the yield.

So, initially it is worth paying special attention to the preparation of the soil, since it is from it, as we have already noted, that the yield of the plant will largely depend. It is best to start preparing in the autumn, and then just maintain the condition of the soil. At the same time, the earth is very carefully dug up, about one and a half or two bayonets of a shovel, no more, but no less. In the soil that has been dug, it is necessary to add some organic matter, and you can also add limestone. Limestones are especially useful if the soil has a high level of acidity. Rhubarb can be propagated not in one, but in several ways. For example, it can be a seedling method, and you can also divide the rhizome. In the article we will consider both options, since they have their own features and characteristics.

Rhubarb can grow throughout the year, and it can be grown not only in spring, but also in summer, late autumn. In general, rhubarb almost always feels quite comfortable, but everything will depend solely on which plant variety was chosen, and how the gardener himself takes care of it, preparing the soil and all the conditions for the growth and development of rhubarb.

If we are talking about the seed method of reproduction of rhubarb, then the seed should be prepared in advance. To do this, the seeds are poured with warm, settled water for about 20-24 hours, as a result of which they swell well. For some time, the seeds must germinate, for this they are placed between several varieties of moistened gauze. When a grower notices small shoots, it is worth sowing seeds directly into the ground. But before that, they can be dried a little, since the process of decay may take place, and the sprouts will not have time to hatch further - they will simply die.

The depth of the grooves for planting should be about three centimeters, and the seeds that have managed to germinate are already slightly buried there. If you do everything right, then the first shoots will appear in about a few days. By the beginning of the autumn period, the seedlings can noticeably stretch, reach a height of about 25 centimeters, and sometimes a little more. After the seedlings have survived the winter, they can be dug up and planted back into the ground. It should be borne in mind: the plants have a very powerful root system, and the same powerful upper part. Due to this, it is worth observing the distance between the bushes - it should be at least one meter.

Reproduction of rhubarb using rhizomes is one of the most common and, most importantly, time-tested methods. Gardeners love it most of all, as it saves time. For this, it is necessary to select the largest and strongest plants that have massive petioles. The optimal period is autumn, so that the rhizomes have time to adapt and give good growth and subsequent development. To divide the rhizome, you need to use a very sharp knife to separate the planting material in just one touch. The separated roots should be dried outside (9 if it is sunny weather) so that they do not gradually start to rot while being directly in the ground. At the same time, the roots are then placed in open ground, for this they are buried to a sufficient depth - about eight centimeters. A distance of at least one meter is maintained between the bushes. Near each plant, the soil should be well compacted, but at the same time it should be loosened periodically, especially after watering, so that moisture does not stagnate in the upper layers, and so that oxygen enters the soil and the root system, since this is very important for such a plant.

As we said earlier, rhubarb is not a very whimsical crop; it is practically not attacked by pests or various diseases. The peculiarity of rhubarb is that practically no weeds form around it, and this is really a huge advantage of this plant.

In order for rhubarb to multiply and develop faster, after the plant is planted in the soil, it should be well mulched. During the growing season of rhubarb, it is also worth digging up or pulling up the weeds that can sometimes appear around the bush. Again, regular watering is required according to the schedule. Since rhubarb is a culture that loves very much when it is watered, it is necessary to water the rhubarb abundantly at least twice a week, but again, the gardener should also be guided by the weather conditions, because if excessive precipitation is observed, then watering can be reduced , but during a period of drought, sometimes rhubarb needs to be watered even more often and more abundantly.

Rhubarb does not reveal any special requirements for top dressing, therefore, for the entire growing season, it may require from two to three complex dressings, but no more. Rhubarb is a crop that has an extremely positive attitude towards organic additives, so ordinary cow dung, which is diluted with water, is suitable for fertilization.Since the yield largely depends on the condition of the soil, it is sometimes necessary to apply fertilizers to it, which can be organic (animal manure), or you can simply take humus, which also ideally saturates the crop, making it adaptable, productive and, most importantly, very tasty.

Rhubarb in general has a high level of immunity, it is very stress-resistant. In this regard, he is not afraid of almost any disease. Occasionally, the so-called buckwheat flea attacks rhubarb, and the rhubarb bug also becomes a typical pest for the plant. Also, if the plant grows in not the most favorable conditions, if the gardener does not take care of it, then it may be attacked by gray rot or downy mildew. Both diseases are caused by overgrowing fungi, and plants can die from these diseases. If the gardener finds any signs, then he needs to immediately remove the affected plants from the soil and burn them. It is easier to prevent diseases than to fight them later. This means that it is worth resorting to some preventive measures. For example, to avoid gray rot, rhubarb bushes should be planted not too close to each other, then the plant will be successfully ventilated, and the risk of developing fungi will be significantly reduced.

Rhubarb how the culture can be combined on the site with other crops. For example, rhubarb ideally grows well nearby with a variety of cabbages, salad varieties, and spinach and beans. They do not clog each other, the root systems get along well, albeit at a sufficient distance, which, of course, is very important.

At the same time, rhubarb cannot be called friendly enough if we are talking about other cultures. For example, it does not get along at all with other fruit and vegetable plants, with potatoes or tomatoes, does not relate very well to radishes or onions. So it is not recommended to plant rhubarb near these plants. In general, these bushes are very extensive, so you should remember about the distance between crops so that they fully develop and do not lose their properties due to not followed agrotechnical norms and rules.