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Rhubarb
Dec 22, 2010 13:03:10 GMT -5
Post by daylilydude on Dec 22, 2010 13:03:10 GMT -5
Just who eats this stuff... and why?
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Rhubarb
Dec 22, 2010 13:27:50 GMT -5
Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 22, 2010 13:27:50 GMT -5
Why Not?? ;D Cuz the leaves are poisonous, but that's the only reason I can see not to raise it and eat it. Why? Pies, Preserves, Stewed and eaten with toast. And apparently, it has some medicinal properties as well as just plain old being delicious. www.rhubarbinfo.com/medicinal
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grapenut
Pro Member
Posts: 146
Joined: December 2010
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Rhubarb
Dec 22, 2010 18:56:29 GMT -5
Post by grapenut on Dec 22, 2010 18:56:29 GMT -5
I like the fresh tender young stalks, not too tart, not too stringy, plus it starts early in the season.
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Rhubarb
Dec 22, 2010 19:16:43 GMT -5
Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 22, 2010 19:16:43 GMT -5
Eggactly Grapenut. If anyone has read Barbara Kingsolver's book "animal, vegetable, Miracle" you will recall her saying that adhering to the 100 Mile Diet (in colder regions) means a long winter without fruit if you don't can/preserve local fruit. Rhubarb is the first fruit come spring and a very welcome sight.
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Rhubarb
Dec 23, 2010 10:02:43 GMT -5
Post by coppice on Dec 23, 2010 10:02:43 GMT -5
Yes Rhubarb is tart, Yes rhubarb is in the buckwheat family. Yes rhubarb is one of the earliest sweetened (its not a fruit) things with good bits in it for us to eat. But did'ja know it can be grown from seed?
It like asparagus takes longer from seed, but the guy who tells you it can only be done by division is also the guy selling those red cardbaord things (that they claim are tomatoes) in the produce aisle at the stupor-market.
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Rhubarb
Dec 23, 2010 11:22:44 GMT -5
Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 23, 2010 11:22:44 GMT -5
Coppice, the rhubarb varieties I have seen offered from seed are the green types; not quite as sweet as reds. Have you knowledge of reds from seed?
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Rhubarb
Dec 23, 2010 12:28:01 GMT -5
Post by coppice on Dec 23, 2010 12:28:01 GMT -5
My foraging for seed is this plant tends to breed true-to-type. I've never bought them. Only foraged. Reds beget reds based on my grow outs.
I had a steady customer who sold cut ribs at a farmers market, an' my price was about 1/3 of the nurserymen's.
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Rhubarb
Dec 23, 2010 14:16:25 GMT -5
Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 23, 2010 14:16:25 GMT -5
Yes, I've only ever started a Rhubarb patch from roots as well.
So I did a search of approximately a dozen seed companies here and in the U.S. to see who sells Rhubarb seeds. Not much luck I'm afraid. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Territorial Seed are the only two that I found and they sell the same two varieties: Victoria and Glaskins Perpetual Rhubarb from the U.K.
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Rhubarb
Dec 23, 2010 14:26:27 GMT -5
Post by paulf on Dec 23, 2010 14:26:27 GMT -5
Two reasons to eat rhubarb: my wife's strawberry/rhubarb pie and her rhubarb cobbler.
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Rhubarb
Dec 23, 2010 22:13:03 GMT -5
Post by coppice on Dec 23, 2010 22:13:03 GMT -5
Yes, I've only ever started a Rhubarb patch from roots as well. Blue, root divisions IS quicker. Rhubarb has an easy to spot spike, the seeds are large, Collect & dry, plant to pots the following spring. IMO if the spike is in a neighbors yard I'll ask. If you can get past the " Huh?" stage most often people will grant collection. Rhubarb and Asparagus seed I never buy, I forage for them.
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grapenut
Pro Member
Posts: 146
Joined: December 2010
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Post by grapenut on Jan 6, 2011 0:25:06 GMT -5
Two reasons to eat rhubarb: my wife's strawberry/rhubarb pie and her rhubarb cobbler. Good enough reason for me!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2011 6:45:40 GMT -5
I inherited the Rhubarb here. It was planted in 1971. The plants still grow like crazy.
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Rhubarb
Jan 10, 2011 19:47:09 GMT -5
Post by bluelacedredhead on Jan 10, 2011 19:47:09 GMT -5
I mooched some at the last place from a very well established plant, But here I had to go buy roots at rather inflated prices from one of the local nurseries. I've since found one in N. Falls that obviously realizes that even blue-collar workers garden, lol
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Rhubarb
Jan 11, 2011 9:13:25 GMT -5
Post by sorellina on Jan 11, 2011 9:13:25 GMT -5
Ciao all-
I'm with you mostly on this one, Rich. I'm neither a fan of rhubarb or strawberries and I'm no good at making pie crust, so I was very happy to be rather oblivious of rhubarb in my garden for most of my life. Duane, however, is a British Canuck and they love their strawberry-rhubarb pies. To bring peace to the household, I've made plenty of rhubarb-based preserves, but also used it in things I might just use like rhubarb-orange jam and rhubarb chutney for curry. I've also made a rhubarb buckle which is a kind of rustic breakfast cake or coffee cake and rhubarb mousse. Both of those things turned out very well and I've made the buckle several times for breakfast. I absolutely cannot stand the smell of strawberries cooking, though (smells to me like FAKE strawberry scented candles and soaps), so I won't be making any rhubarb-strawberry pie filling in the foreseeable future.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
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Rhubarb
Mar 29, 2011 21:33:32 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2011 21:33:32 GMT -5
I have a huge crown I collected seeds from last fall for the first time. About a month ago I planted 8 of those seeds in a small flat, and I have 3 good looking plants now, and 2 that are up but either not good, or just well behind the others in development. Curious to see how they do. I have another friend with 16 large crowns that wants to split them and I am going to move cuttings to the garden I do at my parents place. (http://roundbarnfarm.com/) I am thinking a 75' row should hold 12 plants minimum. I am setting up a perennial orchard there for them for wine making, and the rhubarb should fit right in with the fruit trees and grape vines.
Tom
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Rhubarb
Mar 30, 2011 7:14:11 GMT -5
Post by coppice on Mar 30, 2011 7:14:11 GMT -5
I moved last fall and had rhubarb seed from the year before. It was not clear to me what the shelf life was of this buckwheat fasmily plant, so nothing tried, nothing gained. I set it out cold, No protection, no cold frame, nothing but a pot and dirt. Germination looks pretty good. I'll worry about finding a place to plant some of these in the fall. Or next year maybe they'll be barter bullets... FWIW I've had some cold nights. Well down in the twenties...
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
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Rhubarb
Apr 23, 2011 11:10:16 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2011 11:10:16 GMT -5
I'm growing a red rhubarb, Paragon, from seed. I think I got the seed from Baker Creek but can't remember for sure anymore. Started in pots last year, got three seeds to germinate (they are a pain in the butt for me at least to germinate), set them in the ground in early summer. Evil snails ate the leaves into lace, killing one plant and the others looked really sickly. I thought the leaves were supposed to be poisonous but maybe snails can take it.
But this year, the rhubarbs are back and strong! The snow melted off the garden two weeks ago, revealing beautiful bright red leaves pushing up. Maybe next year I can taste it...
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Rhubarb
Apr 23, 2011 15:17:05 GMT -5
Post by coppice on Apr 23, 2011 15:17:05 GMT -5
Transplanted rhubarb babies into 36 count cells today.
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