Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a long, stalky plant that looks quite a bit like celery. In the spring, when there are no fruits and berries yet, fresh rhubarb is perfect for making tasty juices, sauces, and pies.
Rhubarb is a perennial plant that spreads by rhizomes. The stalks are the tasty part while the leaves are toxic. The stalks can vary in color from deep red to light pink, and even pale green, but color doesn’t indicate a significant variation in the taste or freshness.
Rhubarb is not picky about soil or climate. It bears fruit for 8-10 years. Then new rhubarb rhizomes can be planted in a new place. Cut the rhizomes with a sharp shovel and plant 1 meter from each other, so plants can grow well, and water the plants abundantly.
It’s very important to water rhubarb (from May to August is especially), fertilize and loosen the soil regularly. The first “arrow” flower stalks appear in May.
At harvest time, don’t cut all the leaves! The first harvest after planting rhizomes is on the second year, because in the first year the plant leaves are needed for growth.
Harvesting rhubarb starts from mid-April until the end of July. Break them at the base instead of cutting them as well.
