How to grow rhubarb in a garden bed and get a rich harvest. Rhubarb: growing from seeds, planting and care

Rhubarb is a very nutritious and tasty plant, unpretentious to growing conditions. With proper care, rhubarb can grow for many years and produce excellent harvest. Due to its specific growth characteristics, rhubarb can be grown almost all year round and, accordingly, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. Today we will talk about the main varieties of the plant, as well as the features of its cultivation and care in open ground(photo materials attached).

Main varieties and varieties of rhubarb

Rhubarb – perennial, which has a fairly large root system and the same powerful stems of a reddish hue, reaching several meters in length. The leaves located at the bottom of the plant are larger than all the others. They grow on dense, strong petioles of green/red color, the length of which can reach half a measure and a width of 3-4 cm. This plant has a rather short vegetative period and produces bountiful harvest. The fleshy petioles of rhubarb, which taste somewhat reminiscent of apples, are eaten. They contain large number vitamin C, carotene, sugar, organic acids, pectin, potassium and calcium salts, etc.

Advice. Only young petioles of the plant should be used for food, since when they age they accumulate a lot of oxalic acid, which is not only unnecessary, but also harmful to the human body.

There are more than 50 varieties of rhubarb, most of which are native primarily to Asia.

Let's consider the most popular varieties (you can find out more about them from the photos found on the Internet):

• Ogre-13. The variety is mid-season, very productive. The petioles grow quite large, with excellent taste.
• Moskovsky-42. Early ripening variety exceptionally high yield.
• Large-petiolate. Early ripening variety. Very productive, immune to diseases and pests, as well as low temperatures. Demanding about the soil on which it grows. The petioles have very delicate sweet pulp inside, with a slight sourness.

Rhubarb bush

• Red early. From the name it is clear that the variety ripens early. The petioles grow long, strong, bright red, turning green at the bottom.
• Tangun rhubarb. It is a fairly large plant, the rhizome of which is often used in medicine: to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, etc.

Planting a plant in open ground

Although rhubarb is a rather undemanding plant in terms of its growing conditions, the soil for planting should be chosen very carefully, since your future harvest will largely depend on it. It is not necessary to choose a very light site for planting rhubarb - partial shade is also suitable, but the soil must be fertile and moist. Ideal option– loamy soil with no groundwater saturated with organic matter.

The first step is to prepare the soil for planting. As with any other plant, this is done in advance, in the fall. The earth is carefully dug up using one and a half shovels with the addition of organic fertilizers and limestone (if the soil is acidic).

The plant is propagated in two ways: by seedlings or by dividing the rhizome. Let's consider both options.

It is worth mentioning one nuance right away: rhubarb can be grown almost all year round - not only in early spring, but also in summer, and even late autumn. It all depends on the chosen variety.

Advice. To all year round please yourself with useful microelements and vitamins, which rhubarb is rich in, grow on your summer cottage There are several varieties of this plant with different ripening periods.

To grow rhubarb for seedlings, the seeds must be prepared in advance: you need to fill them with warm, settled water for a day so that they swell well and then germinate for some time (3-4 days) under several layers of gauze (it is advisable to sometimes moisten it with water). Immediately after small sprouts appear, you can begin sowing carefully dried seeds into the ground.

Shallow furrows are prepared (about 3 cm deep) into which sprouted rhubarb seeds are placed. The first shoots will appear in a few days. By the beginning of autumn, the seedlings will reach a height of about 25-30 cm. After wintering, they are dug up and replanted in the ground, keeping a distance of one meter between the bushes.

Rhubarb in open ground

Growing rhubarb using rhizomes is a time-tested method that experienced gardeners love the most. It is necessary to select the largest plants with massive red petioles. Optimal time It will be autumn for planting rhubarb this way.

We divide the rhizome into several parts - use a very sharp knife. Each of the resulting plants should have a fairly large root and at least two buds. Prepared “new” plants must be thoroughly dried in the sun so that they do not begin to rot in the ground. We plant rhubarb in rows at a fairly deep depth - about 6-8 cm, keeping the distance between individual bushes within a meter. The soil near each plant must be thoroughly compacted.

Rhubarb care

As mentioned earlier, rhubarb is an unpretentious plant, practically “not sick” and not afraid of pests. Moreover, rhubarb grows in such a way that practically no weeds form around it. Let's take a closer look at what care is needed for rhubarb to get a good harvest.

In order for rhubarb to reproduce faster, immediately after planting the plant, it is necessary to thoroughly mulch the soil. During the growing season of rhubarb, it is necessary to periodically weed out rare weeds, again, mulch the soil and water. Since rhubarb loves moisture, it should be saturated with water at least twice a week.

Be sure to remove honey plants immediately after they begin to bloom - do not allow them to overgrow.

Advice. The crop should not be harvested in the year rhubarb is planted. The ideal time is the spring of the second or third year after planting. Then you can cut off the young petioles for consumption.

Feeding and fertilizing the plant

Rhubarb is not particularly demanding of fertilizers, so two or three feedings will be enough for the entire growing season of the plant. Since rhubarb prefers organic matter, regular cow manure with added water will do just fine. Since rhubarb can produce a harvest for several years, fertilizer in the form of either manure or humus should be periodically added to the soil.

Advice. Do not fertilize the plant under any circumstances. summer period, since this can lead to an excess of nitrogen, which will cause completely unnecessary flowering of rhubarb. Best time for feeding - early spring and late autumn.

Protection from diseases and pests

Rhubarb is not afraid of any diseases. Only occasionally can he be attacked by a buckwheat flea or rhubarb bug. Rhubarb can also affect gray mold, false powdery mildew. Affected plants must be immediately removed from the soil and burned. To avoid the plant becoming infected with certain diseases, such as gray rot, it is important to plant it correctly - not too densely.

Rhubarb needs to be fed a couple of times per season.

Combining rhubarb with other plants

There is an excellent combination of rhubarb with the following plants: various types salads and cabbage, spinach, beans, etc.

But at the same time, the plant is quite unfriendly to many other fruits and vegetables, for example, representatives of the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes), radishes, onions, legumes (especially peas), cucumber, carrots, etc.

Our material is coming to an end. We looked at the features of growing such unpretentious plant like rhubarb. Follow the recommendations in the article and you will be able to grow a healthy plant that will produce a rich harvest.

The benefits of rhubarb and its cultivation: video

Growing rhubarb: photo

Rhubarb has long been grown in our gardens in open ground. An interesting culture differs from others in its properties. For many gardeners, rhubarb is one of their favorite crops.

And it's not just about what they make of it delicious jam and used in baking. It’s just that rhubarb does not require special care or special conditions during the growing process. It is quite frost-resistant and can withstand even slight sub-zero temperatures. It also easily tolerates dry periods, and is not susceptible to any diseases, does not suffer from garden pests. As you can see, rhubarb is a very easy-to-grow crop for lazy gardeners :) .

Although it is drought tolerant, rhubarb does not like heat and prefers cool weather. Best temperature for him in the summer it’s around 20 degrees. And at temperatures above 30 degrees, its growth and development stops. Therefore, if you live in an area where it is hot in the summer, it is better to plant rhubarb in semi-shaded areas and give it extra moisture on hot days.

Rhubarb is usually planted in early spring or fall.. Rhubarb grows well in soils almost entirely, but of course it gives preference to fertilized and well-drained soils. Before planting, it is better to dig up the area chosen for rhubarb with the addition of compost or rotted manure.

Rhubarb reproduces well by dividing the root. Only strong bushes 4-5 years old should be divided. It is advisable to do this when the plant is at rest, that is, in the fall, after the end of the growing season, or in early spring before the plant juices begin to flow. You need to carefully dig up the rhubarb root, then use a sharp knife or shovel to divide the root into thirds or quarters. Make sure that each part has both a root, a stem, and buds.

For planting, it is necessary to choose rhubarb varieties acclimatized to your conditions in order to avoid problems with survival.

When planting, rhubarb should be buried to the same depth as the parent plant. Dig landing hole, add compost to it and carefully cover the roots with soil. Do not forget to water and mulch the soil after the entire procedure.

Rhubarb bush grows well and can reach a height of more than a meter, so they should be planted at a distance of at least 70-80 centimeters from one another. After planting, rhubarb can grow well in one place for up to 15 years, then the bush must be divided again and new ones created.

You can grow rhubarb in open ground and from seeds. In this case, it should be planted in the fall, around mid-September. Then in the spring it will give fresh shoots.

Rhubarb harvest

To harvest rhubarb, they collect stems, or, as they are called, petioles, which are red in color. The degree of maturity and readiness for harvesting is determined by reaching the required size. When the petioles grow to 35-45 centimeters long and two centimeters thick, they can be harvested. They usually take 3-4 petioles from a bush (no more than 2/3 of the total), cutting them off at ground level. However, some gardeners prefer not to cut off the petioles, but to pull them out from the root. The shell remains in place, and the stem itself extends. The leaves of the torn stem can be left immediately under the plant as mulch.

Remaining The rhubarb stems and leaves will continue to generate nutrients into the plant's roots for its further development. New petioles will grow throughout the summer until autumn. By cutting a small number of petioles from one bush, you can harvest several times. Do not forget the plant regularly.

Attention - only the petioles of rhubarb are eaten. No need to use leaves or roots. Some people eat rhubarb leaves by adding them to soups. It's better to take leaves for this. And the leaves and roots of rhubarb contain a very large amount of oxalic acid, which is toxic.

Rhubarb's flower stems look different from those used as food. To encourage the development of new edible stems, rhubarb's flower stems must be cut off without allowing the plant to proceed to seed production.

After harvesting, rhubarb petioles must be protected from drying out. Wash them first. Then cut off the tough part that was closer to the root and the part that was closer to the leaves (about 5 cm). Some people like to eat rhubarb fresh. But raw, fresh rhubarb is still too tart and sour. It is better to process it, make jam or jam.

Preparing rhubarb for winter involves the soil around it. To do this, cover the ground with leaves, straw or compost with a layer of 5 centimeters. Mulch rotted over the winter will be a good help for spring growth. Rhubarb consumes quite a lot of useful substances from the soil, so such fertilizing will only benefit it.

We hope that our simple tips will help you grow rhubarb in open ground. Try it, you won't regret it.

Rhubarb – useful plant, brought to our region from Southeast Asia. This is a vitamin vegetable crop, which is widely used in cooking and is an excellent addition to the daily diet. Juicy young leaves and petioles of rhubarb with a sour-refreshing taste are a valuable source of vitamins, pectins and minerals. This is one of the first vegetables that appears on our tables in early spring. By eating rhubarb, you can solve the problem of seasonal vitamin deficiency, as well as improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Rhubarb is an unpretentious garden crop that can easily be grown in a summer cottage.

Rhubarb belongs to the genus herbaceous plants Buckwheat family. It is a perennial with a powerful root system and a thick, woody stem of a reddish hue. The stem is straight, hollow, with a diameter of 2 to 5 cm, its height reaches 1 meter, some types of plants grow up to 2.5 meters in height. A large paniculate inflorescence up to 50 cm long is formed at the top of the stem. Rhubarb blooms in the second or third year after planting with white, greenish, less often pink, and red flowers. The basal leaves of rhubarb are large and whole, while the stem leaves are small. The leaves grow on dense petioles, reaching a length of 70 cm and a width of 3-4 cm. The color of the leaves is green or reddish. Succulent petioles have a high nutritional value, have a sour taste reminiscent of apple and lemon. They are used to prepare compotes, jelly, pie fillings, jams, and candied fruits. The fruit of rhubarb is triangular nuts, ripening time is July. Rhubarb has a short growing season and produces high yields all year round. In one place, the plant gives a good harvest for 10 to 12 years. Rhubarb is a frost-resistant plant that is not afraid spring frosts and endures minus temperature up to 10 degrees. But young buds can develop normally only at 2-6 degrees below zero. The optimal temperature for rhubarb growth is 16-20 degrees Celsius. A hot climate is unfavorable for the plant, as its delicate petioles become coarse and fibrous, losing their juiciness. Rhubarb: varieties More than 50 species of the plant are known, most varieties grow primarily in the homeland of rhubarb - Asia. The most known species plants: Altai rhubarb. Rhubarb grows in the highlands and rocky areas of Siberia, Mongolia, and China. Perennial, reaching a height of up to 1.2 meters. The stem is strong, powerful, hollow inside, 1-3 cm in diameter. Altai rhubarb has a powerful root system. The root of the plant is used in folk medicine for the treatment of psoriasis, stems for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, anemia, tuberculosis. Tangut palmate rhubarb. The species is native to the mountains of southern and western China. People call it rhubarb officinalis. The stems of the plant reach a height of up to 2 meters, have a reddish tint, and are ribbed. The leaves are collected at the base in a basal rosette, the petioles are long and fleshy. Used in folk medicine as a laxative and choleretic agent. In our region, such popular rhubarb varieties are grown as: Victoria. Early high-yielding variety, has amazing taste. The length of the petioles is up to 60 cm. The variety is different abundant flowering, which, according to gardeners, is its only drawback. Ogre-13. Harvest, mid-season variety with large petioles, has excellent taste. Moskovsky-42. Early variety, has high yield. Large-petiolate. An early variety resistant to diseases and pests. Resistant to low temperatures, but demanding on soil. The petioles are juicy and sweet. Red early. An early variety with strong, bright red petioles. Has excellent taste. How to grow rhubarb in your summer cottage Rhubarb is an undemanding, frost-resistant perennial crop that can grow and produce a generous harvest in one place for 10 years. Therefore, the most important condition successful cultivation garden crops is the choice of landing site. Choosing soil for planting rhubarb Rhubarb is a shade-tolerant crop; it can grow in partial shade, but develops better in sunny areas. Young shoots especially need good lighting during active growth. The main requirement for the planting site is fertile soil with natural air exchange. The ideal soil for growing the plant is loamy soil, saturated with organic fertilizers, without the presence of groundwater. In poor soil, rhubarb leaves will be small. The soil in the garden bed should be loose and moist. Preparing the bed for planting Preparing the site for planting begins in the fall. The planting site should be dug well with a spade, add organic fertilizers to the soil: 2-3 buckets of manure, humus, peat per meter square land. If the soil is acidic, you need to add slaked lime or dolomite flour. Repeated soil treatment is carried out in early spring. The soil in the garden bed needs to be loosened with a pitchfork or rake and mineral fertilizer applied per square meter: Urea – 30 g. Superphosphate – 60 g. Potassium chloride – 30 g. Rhubarb: propagation Rhubarb can be grown from seeds or by dividing the rhizome. Growing rhubarb from seeds When using the seed propagation method, it is worth remembering that harvesting (twisting the petioles) is carried out only in the second year of the plant’s life. In the first year after planting, rhubarb actively increases its vegetative mass, and premature twisting of the petioles will weaken the young bush. Propagation by seeds occurs in several stages: Preparation of seed material. Rhubarb seeds are soaked in damp gauze until they swell. It is necessary to periodically moisten the gauze with warm, settled water and prevent the seeds from drying out. It will take several days (3-4 days) for the seeds to swell. As soon as sprouts 1-2 mm long appear, they are dried - the seeds are ready for planting in a container in a greenhouse or greenhouse. For sowing seeds, prepare boxes with fertile, loose soil. It is necessary to make grooves in the ground where rhubarb seeds are planted. Planting depth – 2-3 cm. Seed consumption during planting – 3-4 grams per meter of planting area. After deepening seed material into the ground, water the ground with warm, settled water. The first abundant shoots appear 4-5 days after sowing. As soon as a pair of strong leaves appear on the seedlings, the seedlings can be thinned out, leaving a distance of 20-25 cm between seedlings so that the plant actively develops. As they grow, the seedlings are watered, the soil is loosened, weeds are removed, and organic and complex mineral fertilizers are applied. By autumn, the height of young bushes reaches 25-30 cm, on which 4 developed leaves are formed. Overwintered specimens are ready for transplanting in early spring. permanent place, in open ground. The bushes are transplanted into shallow holes according to a 1 × 1 m pattern. When deepening a young plant, the apical bud should not be covered with soil by more than 1–2 cm. After transplanting, the plant must be watered. Propagation of rhubarb by dividing the bush The easiest way to plant rhubarb is to use the vegetative propagation method, dividing the bush. This method reproduction occurs in the autumn. For propagation, large adult plants with massive reddish petioles are chosen. The bush must be dug up and, using a sharp knife, the rhizome must be divided into several parts. Each new plant should have 1-2 growth buds. The delenki should be well dried in the sun, preventing them from rotting. Prepared new plants are planted in holes measuring 60 × 60 × 60 cm. A layer of organic matter (compost or humus) must be placed at the bottom of the holes. Planted seedlings are compacted tightly and watered abundantly. Regular watering required young plant within a week. Rhubarb: care features Rhubarb is an unpretentious garden crop, rarely disease-prone and attack harmful insects. Another feature of the plant is that practically no weeds form around the bush. In order for the plant to delight with a high yield of juicy, tasty and healthy petioles, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil under the bush, ensure timely watering and fertilizing. Loosening and mulching rhubarb Rhubarb grows well in loose soil. Young plants especially need loosening of the root zone; their roots need to be provided with an influx of oxygen for further rooting. After planting, you need to mulch the soil well, and during active growth, promptly remove rare weeds. Watering rhubarb Rhubarb is a moisture-loving crop and needs abundant, timely watering. Insufficient soil moisture can cause the tender and juicy stems of the plant to become coarser, making them unsuitable for consumption. Water the bushes 1-2 times a week (a bucket of water per 1 sq.m of soil). During the period of active growth, the water norm doubles. But, you should not allow an excess of moisture in the soil. In dry summers, rhubarb leaves are sprayed in the evening or morning hours, as they quickly lose moisture. IN winter period rhubarb is not watered. Feeding rhubarb Rhubarb needs feeding only during the growing season; it prefers organic fertilizers, such as cow manure diluted with water. It is recommended to periodically replace manure with humus. 1-2 buckets of organic fertilizer are added to the rows between the bushes. Early spring It is advisable to apply mineral fertilizers. Rhubarb pruning To ensure high yields, it is necessary to promptly remove the plant’s uterine stems, which weaken its growth. As soon as rhubarb blooms, its flower shoots should be removed. The time for feeding is early spring and late autumn. How to collect rhubarb seeds If you want to collect the seeds yourself, you need to select a separate rhubarb bush and wait for it to bloom. Inflorescences with browned seeds must be cut off and tied in small sheaves for further ripening. After the seeds have ripened, they are dried and stored in fabric bags. One plant can produce up to 100 grams of seeds. Rhubarb: protection against diseases and pests Rhubarb is a crop that is resistant to many diseases and pests. In very rare cases, it is possible for the plant to be attacked by pests such as: Rhubarb weevil. Insect brown or gray, 0.5 cm long. It feeds on the leaves of the plant. To combat it, bushes are treated with a 40% phosphamide solution before flowering. After flowering, re-treatment with a chemical composition is carried out. Cabbage and potato scoop. They look like caterpillars that feed on the rhizomes and petioles of the plant. You can notice the cabbage cutworm by curled leaves; the plant slows down its growth and looks weak. If a pest is detected, damaged leaves are cut off. Special attention should be given to neighboring plants in the garden bed. Female cutworms can lay eggs in burdock and thistle leaves. Sorrel leaf beetle. A small pest that feeds on the hired part of the plant, eating holes in the leaves. Damaged leaves are removed. Excess moisture in the soil can lead to the development of fungal diseases such as gray rot and powdery mildew. Possible infection with ramulariasis. A disease characterized by the appearance of small brown spots on the petioles of the plant. Over time, the spots become paler and the leaves dry out. For treatment, I spray the bushes with Bordeaux mixture. The plant cannot be treated; infected specimens are removed and burned. To avoid possible problems When growing, it is not recommended to plant rhubarb bushes too densely. When to Harvest Rhubarb The first rhubarb harvest in the spring is already at the end of March or beginning of April. The harvest is harvested only from the second year after planting the young plant. The first year of life, rhubarb gains strength. Rhubarb is ready to eat when its leaves are about 25-30 cm long and have reached 1.5 cm in diameter. Mature petioles unscrew at the base of the bush. The petioles cannot be cut so as not to damage the growing point of the plant. When collecting petioles, you need to leave a few leaves on the bush to avoid depletion of the root. The harvest can be harvested several times per season, 3-4 times over 8-10 weeks until the beginning of August. But rhubarb is of greatest value in early spring; it is a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients that our body needs after a long winter. In spring, young rhubarb leaves are used to prepare cabbage soup, borscht, and cabbage rolls. Vitamin desserts are prepared from the petioles of red-cut rhubarb: mousses, jellies, jams, candied fruits, as well as refreshing drinks (jelly, compote). Green rhubarb petioles are an excellent base for soups, vegetable purees and stews. In the first 2-3 years, up to 2.5 juicy and nutritious petioles can be collected from one bush. The productivity of an adult bush is up to 6 kg per season. Rhubarb stems can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. They need to be wrapped tightly in cling film. If you want to prepare vitamin petioles for the winter, the stems need to be washed well, dried, then placed in vacuum film and stored in the freezer. After freezing, rhubarb does not lose its beneficial properties and taste. Rhubarb is an unpretentious useful plant that is easy to grow in your summer cottage. Unforgettable taste and beneficial properties plants make no one indifferent. Rhubarb has a high yield and can be harvested several times a season. By selecting and growing rhubarb varieties in the garden that differ in the ripening time of the petioles, you can harvest the crop all year round. Rhubarb, photo

Rhubarb is a perennial plant with developed roots and strong leaves on powerful long cuttings. Rhubarb stems are bare, tubular and tall. During the flowering period, this crop can sometimes reach a height of more than 2 m. Blooming with small yellow flowers, rhubarb is an excellent honey plant that attracts the attention of many insects that pollinate other plants on the site.

Rhubarb petioles have a refreshing and pleasant taste due to the fact that it contains many organic acids. In addition, rhubarb includes vitamins A, B, C, PP, minerals, pectin and fiber. But the main benefit of this plant is that human body gets all these useful elements at a time when other vegetables and fruits are not yet ripe.

Rhubarb is a fairly dry and cold-resistant plant, its seeds can germinate at a temperature of + 2-3 degrees, and its leaves grow at + 4-10 degrees. Most optimal temperature For normal height and development is +15-18 degrees. If it exceeds this limit, then oxalic acid will begin to accumulate in the petioles of the plant, and it will begin to lose its beneficial properties.

Cuttings are formed 15-20 days after the frosts have passed. After the leaves have been plucked from the plant, new ones grow on it within 7-15 days, so it produces new shoots within 40 to 60 days. During the shoot period, flower stalks must be removed so that rhubarb productivity does not decrease.

Rhubarb: how to grow?

• All varieties of rhubarb can grow in the shade, but this process will be more active in sunny areas. The best soil for it is moisture-intensive loamy soil enriched with organic matter. In the first place, this plant can grow up to 10 years, so the soil should be properly prepared before planting.
• In the fall, the soil must be dug to a depth of approximately 25-30 cm. At the same time, per 1 sq. m of soil should be added from 8 to 10 kg of organic fertilizers; peat compost or manure will do. And during spring digging, 30 g is added ammonium nitrate, 60 g of potassium salt and 70 g of superphosphate per square meter. m. of land.
• This plant propagates by seeds or by the vegetative method - by dividing the rhizomes of 4-5 year old crops.

Planting rhubarb: features

Rhubarb is grown from seeds through seedlings; for this they should be sown in early spring in rows with intervals of 25 cm. The seed rate per 1 sq. m. - 3-5 g. Shoots will appear 8-12 days after the sowing procedure itself. The distance between plants should be 10-15 cm. During the growing season of the plant, the soil between the rows should be loosened 2-3 times, weeded and watered the sprouts.

As soon as buds form, and this usually happens in the 2nd year of growth, around the end of March - beginning of April, the culture should be dug up. Next, you need to select the best specimens, looking at the number of thick and long cuttings or large buds and a well-developed root system. After this, you can transplant the plant to a permanent place of growth.

When propagating rhubarb by dividing bushes, those selected in early spring should be dug up. Divide their roots using a knife so that each seedling has 1-2 growth buds, and root system was well developed. Rhizomes separated in this way must be immediately planted in the ground. From 1 bush you can get about 5-7 seedlings.

Rhubarb is usually planted either in spring or late summer. Seedlings obtained from seedlings or cuttings should be placed in holes dug with a shovel according to a 90x90 cm pattern, and 2 specimens should be planted in each hole at once. It is also important to carefully ensure that the upper bud on the trunk of the plant is covered with soil no more than 1-2 cm, and the soil is compacted at the roots. If the soil moisture level is low at the time of planting, the soil should be shed.

Rhubarb: planting and care in open ground

In order to receive early harvest plants, many gardeners cover it with a special cap, which looks like a large ceramic pot turned upside down with a hole in the top. Through this very hole, the upper shoots receive light, unlike the stems, which subsequently grow more tender and less fibrous. Rhubarb grown in this way will be ready for consumption a month earlier than usual.

Culture will develop beautifully in the far corner garden plot, and over time forms a whole colony consisting of individual plants. By the way, such colonies will need to be periodically divided. Division, as well as replanting itself, must be done in the cold season, when the development of the bush slows down. After transplantation, the root system will better take root in the new location. Rhubarb grown by planting seeds will not begin to bear fruit until several years later.

The plant should be fertilized in early spring using rotted manure. Excessive nitrogen content in summer will lead to unnecessary flowering. In the spring after fertilizing, as well as in late autumn, when the leaves die, the plant must be mulched using garden compost, leaf humus, or other materials. organic materials. This helps retain moisture and heat in the soil and will also prevent the growth of weeds.

When mulching in the spring, the rosette of leaves of the plant should be left open, and in the fall, on the contrary, it should be covered (this will create favorable conditions for wintering the rhubarb). If the purpose of growing a crop is to collect fruits, then when shoots form, they should be picked off immediately. And although the flowers decorate themselves appearance plants, but at the same time make his harvest weaker.

You can harvest the crop from the 2nd year of planting, but very little by little. IN next years development, when the plant is already well rooted in the planting site, its shoots can be collected throughout the spring and summer, but the bush cannot be completely exposed. When harvesting, you need to carefully separate the petioles from the base.

There is no need to wait until the stems become as thick as possible - medium-sized petioles are much tastier and more tender than thick ones. And also, you should not collect more than half of all shoots from one plant at a time. Immediately after the harvest has been harvested, the leaves of the plant should be cut off, because they are toxic, because they contain a lot of oxalic acid.

Rhubarb is an unpretentious plant to grow. It is not difficult to plant, but the harvest can be harvested throughout the spring-summer season. To get especially tender and tasty shoots, you can use some cultivation tricks or strictly adhere to the timing of their collection.

Rhubarb, a plant of the Buckwheat family, brought from Central Asia, with for a long time is one of the earliest sources of vitamins, concentrated in the fleshy petioles of the crop, colored red or depending on the variety green. Due to its valuable nutritional characteristics, rhubarb is widely used in cooking for preparing first courses, vegetable purees, drinks and even filling for pies. In folk medicine, the culture is highly valued for its choleretic, antiemetic, laxative and diuretic properties. In addition, eating rhubarb can successfully solve the problems of seasonal vitamin deficiency and lack of appetite.

It is customary to propagate rhubarb by seed and vegetative ways, both of which are highly effective and widely used by practicing gardeners. The crop is grown from seeds during initial planting or breeding new varieties. The vegetative propagation method is appropriate for rejuvenating and expanding existing plantings healthy vegetable. Low-maintenance rhubarb grows well and produces high yields in temperate climate, due to which it is in demand as a garden crop. To avoid mistakes, before planting, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the basic rules for cultivating rhubarb.

Selecting and preparing a seat

As a perennial crop, rhubarb can grow and produce good harvests in one place for up to 10 years, so for planting it it is necessary to choose well-moistened areas with a deep fertile layer and good aeration.

The planting area begins to be cultivated in late autumn - the area is dug up using a shovel, generously filling the soil with organic matter (2-3 buckets of manure, peat or humus are added for each m2). Acidified soil is alkalized by adding slaked lime or dolomite flour. Repeated treatment is carried out in early spring: the soil is intensively loosened with a garden fork or rake. At this time it is recommended to add mineral supplements(30 g of urea, 60 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride for each m?).

Growing from seeds

At seed method During the first season of reproduction, active growth and filling of the vegetative mass of seedlings occurs. Harvesting can only be done in the second year of plant life, since premature breaking of petioles can seriously weaken an underdeveloped bush.

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in several stages:

• The seed material is soaked until it swells in several layers of damp gauze, which must be periodically moistened to prevent it from drying out.
• Sprouted seeds with white sprouts 1–2 mm long are dried to a free-flowing state.
• The sprouted seeds are sown in grooves formed on the loosened soil surface to a depth of 2–3 cm with the obligatory addition of warm, settled water. For every m? About 3–4 g of seed material is consumed per planting area.
• Friendly shoots of rhubarb appear 4–5 days after sowing. At the stage of formation of the first pair of true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving 20–25 cm of free space between the plants, necessary for their proper development.
• During the growing period, caring for rhubarb seedlings consists of: regular watering, loosening and weeding of the soil, timely application of mineral and organic fertilizers. IN favorable conditions on every m? By autumn, each planting site produces 15–20 strong, well-developed bushes with 3–4 formed leaf blades.

Overwintered plants are dug up in early spring to be transferred to a permanent place of growth. The bushes are transplanted into shallow holes, pressing them tightly with soil, according to the 100? 100 cm. During transplantation, the apical bud should not be covered with soil by more than 1–2 cm. If the soil moisture is insufficient, it is recommended to water the plants moderately after completing the procedure.

Vegetative method of propagation

To propagate rhubarb by dividing the bush ( vegetative propagation) in the spring, several adult (4–5 years old) healthy plants are noted, which are dug up shortly before transplantation and, using a sharp knife, their rhizomes are divided into 5–10 parts. Each seedling must have at least 1–2 growth buds. It is not recommended to choose old rhubarb bushes for division, which quickly bloom after transplantation, which negatively affects the consumer characteristics of the crop.

Delenki are planted in holes measuring 60? 60? 60 cm, at the bottom of which a handful of compost or humus is first added. The seedlings are pressed tightly with soil, leaving a growth bud on the surface. To speed up the rooting process, the soil under the plantings is moistened abundantly during the first week. Considering the impressive size of adult rhubarb, when transplanting, it is recommended to leave a free area around it - approximately 100? 150 cm. The optimal time for the division procedure is early spring or mid-autumn.

Features of care

To obtain high-quality, tasty and juicy petioles, plantings require the following measures:

• Timely watering – rhubarb bushes are watered regularly and abundantly, preventing the soil from drying out. During the growing season, the irrigation rate is at least 20 liters per square meter. Due to lack of moisture, rhubarb stems become coarser, become fibrous and lack juiciness.
• Weeding and loosening - the root zone and row spacing are periodically cleared of weeds and the soil under the bushes is fluffed up, ensuring a free flow of oxygen to their root system.
• Fertilizing - every 3-4 years in the fall, 1-2 buckets of organic matter are added to the rows between plants for each m². In early spring, mineral fertilizing is carried out.
• Pruning - from the second year of growth, it is necessary to cut out the uterine stems of rhubarb, which greatly weaken the plants. The flower shoots of the crop are also subject to removal.
• Protection from pests and diseases - most often, rhubarb bushes are attacked by buckwheat flea, rhubarb elephant and rhubarb bug. Of the diseases, the greatest danger to the crop is ascochyta blight (spotting) and gray rot. It is important to remember that you can treat a plant with chemicals only after harvesting the last harvest for the current season.

Bushes provided with proper care grow well and quickly reach consumer maturity.

Harvesting Rules

Rhubarb harvesting begins at the end of March - beginning of April from the second year of plant growth. Petioles with a diameter of at least 1.5 cm are twisted at the base of the bush and freed from leaves, the length of which at the time of harvesting should be 25–30 cm. During the current season, petioles are collected several times, stopping their selection 45–60 days before the end of the growing season, in order to have time to restore the reserve in the rhizomes of the bushes nutrients necessary for a safe winter. Red-cut rhubarb is used to prepare vitamin-rich desserts (mousses, jellies, jams, baking fillings) and drinks (jelly, compote, kvass); green-cut rhubarb is suitable as a base for dishes such as green cabbage soup, vegetable stew and puree. In the first 2–3 years of the crop’s life, up to 1.5–2.5 kg of nutritious fleshy petioles can be collected from one plant. Subsequently, the yield of an adult bush is up to 6 kg per season.