Rhubarb. Planting, care and reproduction

Rhubarb is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Buckwheat family and is a valuable food product. It comes from China, Manchuria; grows wild in Altai, the Far East and Siberia. Recently, rhubarb has become more and more popular and is grown by many growers.

It can be easily recognized by its powerful branched rhizomes, straight thick stems with a hollow structure, and large basal long-petiolized leaves of a toothed or palmate-lobed shape. Aboveground shoot, as a rule, ends with a paniculate inflorescence. This culture blooms with white, pinkish, greenish or (quite rarely) red flowers. Subsequently, the plant forms fruits that look like triangular nuts. In this article we will tell you how on your own summer cottage... Using our advice, you can get a rich harvest and use the stems of this perennial, valuable and rich in microelements and vitamins, in the preparation of a wide variety of dishes: jams, compotes, jams, soups, etc. This plant contains a huge amount of organic acids (malic, oxalic, etc.), vitamins (P, C), potassium salts. Since ancient times, it has been used for medicinal purposes to reduce gas formation and increase intestinal motility.

Rhubarb: planting and care. Growing features

This perennial grows well on clay and loamy soils. It normally tolerates high acidity, but still prefers the pH range 5.5-7. For good growth the plant needs a deep arable layer. It develops poorly and bears fruit in swampy areas, in places with a high standing groundwater... Before planting rhubarb (from autumn), the site is prepared: organic matter (up to 10 kg / m²), lime (500 g / m²), superphosphate and (up to 30 g / m²) are introduced. In the spring, they must add nitrogen fertilization(up to 20 g / m²), and with direct planting, humus or compost is placed in each pit.

Rhubarb: planting and care. Reproduction

In one area, this plant can grow normally for about 15 years, but it is advisable to transplant it at least once a decade. This perennial is propagated in two ways: by seed and by dividing the rhizome. The latter seems to be the easiest and most convenient method of culture breeding. The rhubarb plant is divided in the fall; for this, the most powerful, well-developed bushes are chosen. They are cut with a pruner or a shovel into several parts (up to 4) so that each fragment has 2 large buds and healthy roots. The sections are treated with charcoal. The fragments are dried and planted in new, previously prepared areas. Seeds are sown either in late autumn or spring. They are placed in the ground to a depth of about 3 cm.

Rhubarb shoots appear on average after 17 days, after which they are thinned so that the distance between the seedlings is 20 cm, and a pick is made. After two years, the bushes can be transplanted to permanent place... The plant with a lump of earth on the rhizome is transferred to a planting hole, the depth of which should be about 50 cm. The soil is compacted, watered and mulched with peat (humus). A distance of 80 cm is maintained between the bushes.

Rhubarb. Planting and caring for a delicious perennial

Caring for this plant consists in periodically removing weeds, abundant watering (especially on hot, sultry days), loosening the soil around the bush and between the rows, and applying fertilizers. Long and tasty stems of rhubarb can only be obtained by watering it correctly and in a timely manner. During the season, the bushes are moistened 4 times, using about 40 l / m². Watering abundantly makes the petioles tastier and less acidic. Also, to increase the yield, inflorescences should be systematically removed. When collecting the petioles, they must not be cut off, but carefully pulled out. The first roots can be harvested when they reach about 30 cm, the subsequent ones - 60 cm.As for fertilizing, in the first year after planting, organic (mullein, and mineral fertilizers("Nitrofoska", "Kemira-universal"). They are introduced after re-thinning, every 12 days in turn. In subsequent years, rhubarb is fertilized 3 times per season. In early spring, add superphosphate (20 g / m²), ammonium sulfate (10 g) and potassium (10 g). 4 weeks after the first feeding, add superphosphate (20 g per 10 l). In August, the third procedure is performed (potash and rhubarb should be covered with fallen leaves for the winter. Planting and caring for the plant should be carried out correctly and be timely, then the plant will give a rich harvest of petioles for many years.

There are several garden crops that supply us with vitamins earlier than other plants: onions - batun and chives, sorrel, parsley, etc.

Early growing crops include sweet rhubarb that came to us from Central Asian countries, which can be grown by vegetative and seed methods. Its green or red (depending on the variety) petioles contain natural sugars, many vitamins and other useful substances.

Rhubarb varieties and photos

In addition to the Victoria rhubarb, which is popular among gardeners, there are many other varieties of different ripening periods. Most often, lovers of home greens grow the following varieties of this plant from the Buckwheat family:

Tukumsky 5... A productive early maturing plant with excellent taste and juicy pulp. Its smooth, often slightly ribbed petioles at the bottom are round and grow up to 70 cm in length. The weight of one adult petiole is 130-155 grams. A third of the petiole closer to the base has a deep red color.
Moskovsky 42... Another early variety with tasty juicy pulp and large petioles. Their height reaches 70 cm, thickness - 30 mm. They have a smooth surface and are colored green with reddish blotches. The base of the petiole is decorated with a solid red stripe.
Ogre 13... Variety of medium ripening, yielding many juicy, slightly fibrous petioles with delicate flesh. Their length is 60-70 cm, thickness - 30-35 mm, weight - from 150 to 620 grams. The bottom of the stems is colored red, but upward the red color is gradually replaced by green.

And, of course, it is worth mentioning the Victoria rhubarb - a famous early-maturing variety that is often grown for decorative purposes, as it is very abundant in color.

Rhubarb "Victoria"

The thickness of its petioles is 35 mm, the height is about 70 cm. They are green in color, but only up to the middle or a third of the stem: below they are speckled with tiny reddish spots. They are clearly visible in the photo of rhubarb.

Rhubarb: planting and care outdoors

Experienced gardeners are advised to grow two varieties at once - early and late ripening. It is desirable that the earlier variety has a green color of the petioles, and the later one has red.

Green petioles will be needed for summer salads, soups and mashed potatoes, red ones - for preparations for the winter (jams and compotes).
Because of their bright color, it is good to stuff open pies with red stems: they turn out to be both tasty and elegant.

How to grow rhubarb from seeds

When receiving plants from seeds, it is possible to collect petioles only the next year, when the bushes get stronger and grow enough green mass. If you cut the greens this year, the bushes will weaken and develop poorly.

Site preparation for sowing

As a perennial, rhubarb is able to grow in one area for about 10 years, the main thing is that the sowing site is suitable: sufficiently moist, with fertile and well-breathing soil.

We prepare a site for sowing seeds in the fall, digging up the ground for 1 bayonet and seasoning each square meter with a bucket of rotted manure or humus. If the soil is acidic, we turn it into neutral, adding 300-700 g of slaked lime per 1 m² (the higher the acidity, the more lime is required).

In the spring, we loosen the dug area with a rake, adding mineral fertilizers per 1 m²:

Urea - 30 grams;
Superphosphate - 60 grams;
Potassium chloride - 30 grams.

Now you can start sowing the area with rhubarb seeds.

Sowing seeds in the ground

We sow rhubarb achenes using the following technology:

We place the seeds in cheesecloth folded in a few words and moisten it with water, adding moisture as it dries, until millimeter sprouts appear from the achenes.
We take out the seeds from the gauze and dry slightly so that it is convenient to sow.
We cut grooves with a depth of no more than 2 cm in the section.
We spill them gently warm water.
We sow achenes and lightly sprinkle them with earth.

After five days, rhubarb shoots will appear. When a pair of true leaves grow on the plants, we thin out the seedlings, leaving the plants stronger. The distance between them should be 25 cm. These plants will make an excellent seedling for the subsequent transplantation of rhubarb to a permanent place.

Seedling care

Before growing bushy rhubarb from seeds, it is important to provide the seedlings with proper care:

Water the young rhubarb regularly with warm water.
We weed and loosen the area.
Every month we feed the seedlings with complex mineral fertilizers and organic matter rich in nitrogen.

With good care of the seedlings, developed strong bushes will form in the fall. After wintering, in March or April (it depends on the climatic characteristics of the area) we produce further landing rhubarb and take care of it.

There must be a distance of at least 1 meter between plants transplanted to permanent places, otherwise they will be cramped. It is also important not to deepen the apical buds: fill them with soil by a maximum of 1.5 cm.

Now from the transplanted bushes, you will get strong plants with lush greenery and plump stems that can be harvested for the winter and added to various dishes.

This technique is used if you need to expand or update the planting of rhubarb. Propagate it like this:

Before transplanting, we take healthy bushes that are 4 years old (old bushes do not produce plants with rich greenery) and cut the roots with a knife into several parts: each seedling should have two growth buds.
We make holes in the selected and prepared area with a diameter of 60 cm every 100 cm from each other.
We put rotted manure or compost in each hole - 1 handful.
We place the seedlings in the holes and cover them with earth, ramming it tightly, but not filling the growth buds.
Water the plantings abundantly for 7 days so that they take root faster.

It is best to do vegetative propagation of rhubarb bushes in the first in March or mid-October.

Further care of rhubarb plantings

After transplanting seedlings or seedlings obtained by a vegetative method, we provide the plants with good care consisting in the following procedures:

Regular watering... Rhubarb bushes do not tolerate drought, and therefore we water them abundantly and regularly, especially during the period of growing green mass. At this time, each plant should receive 25 liters of water per watering. If there is not enough water, the petioles will grow rough and not juicy.
Loosening and weed control... As it appears, weed the weeds and immediately loosen the soil under the bushes so that the roots receive enough oxygen.
Feeding procedures... Every three years, at the beginning of October, we add one and a half buckets of organic fertilizers per 1 square meter to the soil between rhubarb bushes. In March, we feed the bushes with complex mineral fertilizers.
Pruning... In the second year of life and in the future, we cut off the uterine rhubarb stems of rhubarb: they take away the strength of the plants, preventing them from growing good petioles and foliage. We do the same with peduncles, if rhubarb is not grown for decorative purposes.
Protection against diseases and harmful insects... Usually rhubarb is attacked by rhubarb bugs and rhubarb elephants, it is affected by buckwheat fleas, gray rot or spotting. We treat the bushes with insecticides and other chemicals, but only when we take off the last crop this year.

Regularly watered and fed plants, which are not damaged by diseases and pests, quickly grow petioles and greens.

How to harvest rhubarb

In the second and third years of plant life, up to 2.5 kg of stems are harvested from one bush. In the future, productivity only grows, and 5-6 kg of selected petioles will be harvested from the plant.

We start harvesting in early April, choosing stems with a diameter of 1.5 cm. Do not cut them off, but twist them at the very bottom.

We continue to collect delicious raw materials several more times, carrying out the last procedure 45 days before the end of the growing season, otherwise the rhubarb will not have time to gain strength for the winter.

By following the tips for planting and caring for a plant like rhubarb, which can be grown in one place for up to ten years, you will get an excellent harvest of petioles for various culinary purposes. Delicious mousses, jams, jellies, compotes and filling for buns and pies are made from red stalks, cold soups, vegetable stews, salads and mashed potatoes from green petioles.

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

Propagation of rhubarb is accepted by seed and vegetative methods, both of which are highly effective and widely used by practicing gardeners. The culture is grown from seeds during the initial planting or breeding of new varieties. Method vegetative propagation suitable for rejuvenation and expansion of existing landings healthy vegetable... Rhubarb, undemanding to care for, grows well and gives high yields under conditions temperate climate, thanks to which it is in demand as garden culture... To avoid mistakes, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the basic rules of rhubarb cultivation before planting.

Seat selection and preparation

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

The landing site begins to process late autumn- the site is dug onto a shovel bayonet, abundantly filling the soil with organic matter (for each m2, 2-3 buckets of manure, peat or humus are introduced). The acidified soil is made alkaline by adding slaked lime or dolomite flour... Re-processing is carried out in early spring: The soil is intensively loosened with a garden pitchfork or rake. At this time, it is recommended that mineral dressings(30 g of urea, 60 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride for each m2).

Growing from seeds

At seed method reproduction in the first growing season, there is an active build-up and filling of the vegetative mass of the seedlings. Harvesting can only be carried out in the second year of plant life, since premature breaking of the petioles can seriously weaken an underdeveloped bush.

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in several stages:

The seed is soaked until it swells in several layers of wet gauze, which must be periodically moistened, preventing it from drying out.
Sprouted seeds with white shoots 1–2 mm long are dried to a loose state.
Sprouted seeds are sown into grooves formed on the loosened soil surface to a depth of 2-3 cm with the obligatory pouring of warm, settled water. For every m? the planting area consumes about 3-4 g of seed.
Amicable 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, which is necessary for their proper development.
During the growing period, caring for rhubarb seedlings consists in regular watering, loosening and weeding of the soil, timely introduction of mineral and organic dressings... In favorable conditions at every m? the planting site by the fall grows 15–20 strong, well-developed bushes with 3–4 formed leaf plates.

Overwintered plants are dug up at the beginning of spring for transfer to a permanent place of growth. The bushes are transplanted into shallow holes, tightly squeezing them with soil, according to the 100? 100 cm. During transplanting, the apical bud should not be covered with soil more than 1–2 cm. If the soil moisture is insufficient, it is recommended to water the plants moderately at the end of the procedure.

Vegetative breeding method

For reproduction of rhubarb by dividing the bush (vegetative propagation), several adults (4-5 years old) are celebrated since spring healthy plants, which are dug out shortly before transplanting and with the help of a sharp knife divide their rhizomes into 5-10 parts. Each seedling must have at least 1–2 growth buds. It is not recommended to choose old rhubarb bushes for dividing, which, after transplanting, quickly turn into color, which negatively affects the consumer characteristics of the crop.

Delenki are planted in wells with a size of 60? 60? 60 cm, on the bottom of which a handful of compost or humus is pre-poured. The seedlings are tightly squeezed with earth, leaving a growth bud on the surface. To speed up the rooting process, the soil under the plantings is abundantly moistened during the first week. Considering the impressive size of an adult rhubarb, it is recommended to leave a free area around it - about 100? 150 cm. Optimal time for the division procedure - early spring or mid-autumn.

Care features

To obtain high-quality, tasty and juicy stalks, planting needs such activities as:

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 for each m2. Due to the lack of moisture, rhubarb stalks coarsen, become fibrous and less juicy.
Weeding and loosening - the root zone and aisles are periodically cleared of weeds and fluff the soil under the bushes, providing a free flow of oxygen to their root system.
Top dressing - every 3-4 years in the fall, 1-2 buckets of organic matter are added to the rows between plants for each m2. Mineral dressing is carried out in early spring.
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 arrows of the culture should also be removed.
Protection from pests and diseases - most often rhubarb bushes are attacked by buckwheat fleas, rhubarb elephants and rhubarb bugs. Of the diseases, the greatest danger to the culture is ascochitosis (spotting) and gray rot... It is important to remember that it is possible to treat a plant with chemicals only after the last harvest for the current season.

The bushes provided with competent care grow well and quickly reach consumer maturity.

Harvesting rules

Rhubarb harvesting begins in late March - early 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 harvested several times, stopping their selection 45-60 days before the end of the growing season, in order to have time to restore in the rhizomes of the bushes the supply of nutrients necessary for a safe wintering. Red-cut rhubarb is used to prepare vitamin desserts (mousses, jellies, jams, baking fillings) and drinks (jelly, compote, kvass); green-cut rhubarb is suitable as a basis for dishes such as green cabbage soup, vegetable stews and mashed potatoes. In the first 2-3 years of a culture's life, up to 1.5-2.5 kg of nutritious fleshy petioles can be harvested from one plant. Subsequently, the yield of an adult bush is up to 6 kg per season.

Rhubarb is a fairly common perennial herb with a strong root system and very large fleshy leaves that sit on thick stalks.

Varietal characteristics and good care allow you to grow rhubarb, the petiole of which reaches a weight of one kilogram. In our country, several species of this culture are grown with green or red petioles. The color spectrum varies in intensity.

Rhubarb belongs to cold-resistant plants and in our climatic conditions not only grows well, but also hibernates without shelter and gives a stable and high yield... Plant care is practically not required.

However, it should be borne in mind that the lack of water and high temperature indicators do not allow the leaf outlet to develop fully, and the quality of edible petioles is greatly reduced. They become coarse and not juicy enough, their fibrillation increases.

Description of varieties

At summer cottages and household plots it is recommended to grow several varieties of rhubarb at once. Cultivating species with different terms maturation, as well as various colors. Most often mashed potatoes are made from green petioles; with their use, very tasty and vitamin green cabbage soup is made. It is advisable to use red-stemmed plants for cooking compote, jelly or in the manufacture of filling for pies.

The following varieties are considered the most popular and productive:

"Moskovsky-42"- a very early variety with a high yield and excellent taste. The length of the petioles is no more than 70 centimeters, and their thickness does not exceed 3 centimeters. Petioles are smooth, green, with a red stripe near the base.
"Victoria"- early and fruitful variety. The rhubarb taste of this variety is excellent, which makes its use universal. The length of the petiole is just over 60 centimeters. The disadvantage of the variety is profuse flowering.
"Tukumsky-5"- a very early and productive variety, characterized by an excellent taste of round and juicy petioles. The length of the petiole is about 70 centimeters, and the average weight of one petiole can reach 150 grams.
"Ogre-13" belongs to the number of mid-season and high-yielding varieties. Grows well and forms petioles in shade. The flesh of long and thick petioles is very juicy and tender. A pair of generative shoots is formed on the plant.

How to care for rhubarb (video)

Planting methods

Rhubarb can be propagated vegetatively or by seed. The first option involves dividing the bush, which is no more than five years old. It is impossible to carry out vegetative propagation of the plant at the flowering stage.

Dividing the bush performed in spring or early autumn, before the first frost. A bush dug out of the soil should be divided into several parts. A healthy root with a pair of large apical buds is suitable for planting. During planting, the buds should be buried no more than one and a half centimeters.

Plant propagation by seeds involves soaking them four days before sowing for a period of no more than ten hours. To get seeds from your own plants, you should leave one of the most developed and powerful peduncles in a three-year-old plant. After the inflorescences acquire a brown color, the seeds must be collected and dried.

Care and feeding

Rhubarb is very unpretentious and perfectly tolerates minor errors in agricultural technology. Caring for the plant is simple and consists of the following activities:

loosening the soil around the bushes in the spring, after the snow melts and the soil warms up;
the soil for planting rhubarb has been dug up since autumn, the digging depth should be about 30 centimeters;
timely harvesting a year after planting the plant with breaking out, and not cutting off the petiole;
for longer storage on broken petioles, it is necessary to leave about five centimeters of the leaf part;
with the onset of stable frosty days, the entire aerial part of the plant must be cut.

Standard plant care includes feeding according to the following basic requirements:

for each square meter of planting, at least 8 kilograms of organic fertilizers should be applied, for which it is recommended to use peat compost or manure;
caring for a plant in spring involves digging and adding 30 grams of ammonium nitrate, which is supplemented with superphosphate and potassium salt;
every season it is necessary to feed the rhubarb once with the following composition: a little more than a teaspoon of urea, a tablespoon of nitrophoska and 500 grams of mullein should be added to a bucket of water.

The main food area that must be provided to a culture for full growth is about square meter one bush. Despite the fact that caring for the plant is minimal, some culture features should be taken into account:

although the plant is shade-tolerant, it prefers sufficiently lit areas for planting;
young rhubarb bushes are especially sensitive to light;
rhubarb works best when grown in loamy areas and moisture-consuming soils enriched with organic matter;
rhubarb is hygrophilous plant and during a drought period, it requires irrigation at least once a week in an amount of at least 15 liters of water per square meter.

Diseases and pests

Like any cultivated plant grown in home plots, rhubarb is susceptible to some problems associated with plant pests and diseases. The most common and most likely to cause maximum damage to the plant include diseases such as white spot, rust, and downy mildew.

Most often, the use of strong chemicals to combat the lesion is not required. Have sufficient efficiency folk remedies... A good result can be achieved thanks to mixed landing rhubarb with onions and garlic, which protect the culture.

Remember that rhubarb should not be harvested from mid-summer. This is due to the accumulation of oxalic acid in the petiole, which, in excessive quantities, is not a useful substance for humans.

Rhubarb growing technology (video)

It is quite easy to grow rhubarb on the site. Observing simple rules planting and care, you can get an excellent harvest of any kind of crop.

Rhubarb is a perennial herb, a representative of the buckwheat family. Planting and caring for rhubarb on your site is a feasible task for every gardener. it unpretentious plant has a high yield. And its juicy petioles are nutritious and rich in vitamins, which are especially valuable in early spring.

Growing conditions

In regions of a temperate climate, rhubarb is quite in demand. On the plots of many summer residents and gardeners, several varieties are grown, which differ in terms of ripening, quality and color of petioles. The shrub can easily tolerate cold temperatures and is drought tolerant. However, a prolonged stay without watering during a hot period will affect the taste of rhubarb. The petioles become fibrous, a bitter taste appears.

The plant is able to grow in one place for 10 years and give excellent yields. When planning the planting of a perennial in open ground, you should take into account the peculiarities of the growth of rhubarb.

For active growth and normal development, the plant will need:

fertile loose soil;
sufficient moisture without moisture stagnation;
well lit, possibly slightly shaded place;
average air temperature 18 ° C.

During the growth of rhubarb leaves, especially abundant watering is required. But it should be remembered that excessive soil moisture can lead to root rot.

To obtain a stable harvest throughout the summer, it is advisable to select several varieties of rhubarb with different ripening periods.

Reproduction methods

For plant propagation, two highly effective and widespread methods are used among summer residents.

To rejuvenate the culture or increase the number of plants on the site, the vegetative method is suitable.
When breeding new varieties, seedlings are grown from seeds.

Vegetative way

Early spring - the best time to carry out work on the division of perennials. It is allowed to carry out division in the middle of autumn. For reproduction, bushes are selected that have reached the age of 4-5 years.

The plant is dug out of the ground in early spring and the excess soil is shaken off.
Using a sharp knife, the root is cut into several pieces. Each seedling should have at least one or two growth buds and its own root system... From one bush, you can get from five to ten new plants.
The resulting cuttings are planted in specially prepared wells with a nutrient substrate. The growth point must be left on the surface.
The soil around is compacted by squeezing the plant.
Pour with settled water. Regular hydration of rhubarb continues throughout the week.

In an adult state, the bush reaches an impressive size, so the distance between plants should be at least a meter.

Old bushes are not suitable for vegetative propagation. After planting, they most often turn into color, which affects the taste of rhubarb.

Growing seedlings

When choosing a method of propagation by seeds, it must be remembered that in the first year of the growing season, the perennial is actively increasing its green mass. Harvesting during this period is not recommended. Breaking out the petioles from young plant will weaken the bush.

Preparing and planting seeds will not be difficult.

The seeds are placed between several layers of gauze and moistened regularly.
When white sprouts appear, the seeds are slightly dried until a free-flowing state is obtained.
Sprouted seeds are placed in prepared grooves 2 cm deep, irrigating crops with warm water. Already on the 5th day, the first shoots will look out of the ground.
After the first true leaves unfold on the seedlings, the seedlings should be thinned out.

Further, the soil around the plants is regularly loosened, weeds are controlled, if necessary, watering and feeding are carried out. During the summer, seedlings reach 30 cm in height. Planting material leave to winter in the same place. And only in the spring, while the plants have not entered the stage of active growth, the bushes are dug up to be planted in a permanent place.

Roots with active growth buds are placed in the holes so that the upper bud is covered with earth for a couple of centimeters. The soil around the rhubarb is compacted, the plants are watered.

To get the seeds yourself, you need to let the plants bloom and leave the strongest flower stalks.

Planting and leaving

The soil for growing perennials must be carefully prepared. The quality of the future harvest depends on this. In the fall, you should dig up the site and make organic fertilizers... Compost, humus, or peat will do. Slaked lime is added to the acidic soil; dolomite flour can be used.

Summer residents who want to grow juicy petioles with a characteristic pleasant taste need to provide proper care for a plant planted in the open field.

Regular and fairly abundant watering is required. It is not recommended to allow the soil to dry out and water stagnation at the roots.
During the growing season, timely weeding and loosening of the top layer of the earth is required.
To retain moisture and prevent weed growth, the soil around the plant must be mulched with organic matter. For a safe wintering, the leaf rosette is covered with fallen leaves.
Every year in the spring, mineral fertilizers are applied under the bush and rotted manure is added.
From the second year of the growing season, the uterine stems should be cut out from the plant, which significantly weaken the bush.
Flower arrows also need to be broken.

Rhubarb bushes are very resistant to disease. But in some cases, plants can be affected by gray rot, false powdery mildew or ascochitis. Sometimes rhubarb is attacked by certain pests. As a rule, these are the rhubarb elephant and the rhubarb bug. Possible buckwheat flea damage. For effective fight are used with pests and diseases chemicals... Therefore, the processing of plants should be carried out only after harvest.

Harvesting

The beginning of the harvest depends on the variety and region where the rhubarb grows. The petioles, which have reached a diameter of 1.5 cm, can be twisted, trying to do this at the base of the bush. Then you need to remove the sheet. During the summer, the petioles are harvested several times. The accumulated nutrients... To do this, it is necessary to stop the selection of petioles 2 months before the end of the growing season.

Fleshy rhubarb stalks have a pleasant sour taste. Large leaves containing oxalic acid are not eaten. The plant is a source of vitamins A, B, C and PP. The composition also includes minerals useful for humans, pectin and fiber. It is possible to replenish the spring lack of vitamins in the body thanks to early varieties grown in the country.

Providing competent care of the plant, you can get an excellent harvest of rhubarb on your site, diversify your home menu and replenish the supply of vitamins and minerals in the body. Beneficial features this plant can be effectively used for medicinal purposes.