Rhubarb. Cultivation and care

Rhubarb (from the Greek "reos") is a useful frost-resistant herbaceous perennial of the buckwheat family with large leaves of triangular shape. It has been grown for several millennia. As a wild growing shrub in Siberia, it is found in the Far East and Asia. The plant is most popular in Western Europe and the Baltics.

Two types of rhubarb are cultivated: vegetable and medicinal. The taste is sour, like an apple. In food, young petioles are used. They contain citric, malic, ascorbic acids, protein, carotene, sugar, trace elements, potassium salts, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium. Rhubarb is extinguished, boiled, frozen, canned, prepared from it toppings, jam, candied fruits, compote. In medicine, the rhubarb root is used as a remedy for improving the digestive system, stimulating appetite. From it, prepare powder, tablets, extracts.

The rhubarb is shade-tolerant, but it is best to plant it on the sunny side of the site in order to obtain the maximum yield. Loves organic, light weakly acid soils. It is usually placed on the corners of a plantation or along a fence. Fertilization period in one place - up to 15 years. Petioles can be collected from a second-year plant.

Rhubarb - growing. Ways of landing:

1. Seeds

They must be previously soaked in water for 48 hours. They are sown in March-April, July or autumn (on the frozen soil). The distance between the rows is 0.2 m, the depth of planting is 2 cm. Sprouts grow on the 6th day. In autumn, transplants are transplanted to a permanent site or thinned by 0.6 m. For one adult plant, a plot of at least 0.4 square meters is needed, since the root grows to a three-meter distance.

2. Vegetative (rhizome)

Root the rhubarb is best planted in the third decade of August. For this purpose, a rhizome with a kidney from a healthy 4-year-old plant is taken and buried in a well with humus. The next day the seedling can be watered, during this time the wounds on the plant will dry up.

Rhubarb - growing. Secrets of a Good Harvest

- Do not depress the kidney when planting in the soil;

- You can not use for the seedling old or with many buds of the rhizome, otherwise the plant will blossom rapidly;

- the flower arrows must be cut off immediately;

- if the plant constantly blooms - it is old. Such a copy should be replaced;

- it is necessary to remove the old dried leaves in time - they die every year, and the rhizomes winter in the soil;

- if in the spring the bud strongly rises above the soil, it needs to be slightly deepened, otherwise it will dry up;

Care of the plant is simple - regular watering on hot days, 2 organic fertilizers per season, loosening the soil if necessary.

Rhubarb - growing: disease control

Prevent the development of various diseases will help timely autumn cleaning of all the remains of foliage. The plant is prone to fungal diseases. Leaves turn red, then wither. Coping with the disease will help spraying with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Rhubarb - growing. How correctly to collect?

Gently tear off the petiole at the base, trying not to damage the kidneys. Do not remove the film from the bottom and leave a small fraction of the foliage on the cut stalk. The rhubarb collected in this way remains for a long time juicy, as it will be "clogged" from two sides. Below you can see what a well-groomed rhubarb looks like : a photo of a plant grown according to all rules

To grow a healthy giant plant, follow three basic rules:

- choose a sunny site for planting;

- on a radius of three meters from him do not land;

- timely care for the rhubarb - water, loosen the soil.