Rhubarb: cultivation and care, planting in the open field, how to propagate and when to collect

One of the plants that can please in early spring with a vitamin set, pectin and organic acids is rhubarb. It is unpretentious, frost-resistant and, with the right approach, is capable of producing products from petioles almost all year round. The owner can treat himself and his family to compotes, jelly, salads, when other vegetables in the garden are just starting to sprout. And growing and caring for rhubarb does not require much effort and effort.

Brief description of rhubarb

Rhubarb (Rheum) is a perennial and a member of the buckwheat family.The plant is large, reaches 3 m in height and is formed from a basal rosette of leaves growing on long petioles. Thick, fleshy, reddish petioles are used for food. Their shape is cylindrical or multifaceted, reaching 4 cm in thickness.

Leaves are palmately lobed, entire, rather large in size with serrated or wavy edges. The color is usually dark green with reddish veins. In early summer, flowering begins: a large paniculate inflorescence is formed with small flowers from white to red (depending on the variety). Later fruits are formed - brown trihedral nuts.

Rhubarb can grow in all regions of our country, including Siberia and the Far East, as it tolerates cold well. Another distinguishing feature is high shade tolerance. It grows in one place up to 10 years and, growing, forms dense thickets. But it needs a transplant, as the soil is depleted and the plant becomes smaller.

Reproduction is carried out by seedlings and division of the roots. Agricultural technology depends on the variety and biological characteristics of the plant, but does not present any particular difficulties for the vegetable grower.

Rhubarb stalks taste like a sour apple. In terms of the content of nutrients, they are also not inferior to this fruit. It is used as a medicinal product for a number of diseases.

Main varieties and varieties

Up to 50 varieties of rhubarb are known, most of which grow in their homeland - in Asia. Most vegetable growers are in favor of obtaining products in early spring, when there is a lack of greens and vitamins. But in the fall, juicy petioles will come in handy for making homemade preparations. Based on this, a variety is selected. Most commonly grown:

1. Altai dawns (early ripe) form a sprawling rosette of leaves that sit on reddish petioles weighing 80-120 g. It has an excellent sweet-sour taste. Harvesting takes place 30 days after the plant has grown.
2. Large-petiolate (early ripe) has a high yield, low susceptibility to disease. It tolerates low temperatures well. Petioles are characterized by tender and sweet flesh with a slight sourness.
3. Victoria (early) refers to high-yielding varieties in which petioles grow quickly, reaching a mass of 200-250 g. Initially, they are red, but become green over time. Forms flower stalks early, they must be cut immediately.
4. Obsky (mid-season) forms a large rosette of slightly corrugated leaves with pink petioles. They have a delicate sweet and sour taste. The cold-hardy variety is tolerant of excess moisture, but does not tolerate drought.
5. Ogre-13 (mid-season) forms a compact leaf rosette with dark green foliage. Slightly ribbed petioles are red in color and some specimens grow a mass of 300-350 g. The variety is resistant to bolting and forms few peduncles.
6. Gigantic (late-ripening) has an impressive appearance. Rhubarb with dark red petioles is large in size. The popularity of the variety is noted due to the late return of the harvest and excellent taste.

In order to collect juicy petioles during the summer, you need to plant several varieties on the site that have different ripening periods.

Combination of rhubarb with other plants

Rhubarb grows well next to salads, representatives of cruciferous (cabbage), does not mind the neighborhood with spinach and beans. It is oppressed by fruit and vegetable crops placed next to it. For example, he is unfriendly to representatives of the nightshade family, radishes, onions, legumes, carrots and a number of other plants that live in the beds.

It is advisable to plant the bushes separately. And since the petiole culture loves partial shade, it will fit perfectly at the fence, close the area near the outbuildings or be placed in a corner in a shaded corner of the garden.

Planting dates

The date of planting is related to the method of reproduction. Many vegetable growers prefer the vegetative method, as wild forms of rhubarb can grow from seeds. Boarding times:

• rhizome plant multiplies in spring and autumn;
• seeds are sown before winter when the ground freezes;
• sowing for seedlings is done in March.

When dividing the rhizome, the harvest of tender petioles will not be long in coming, and the seedling method will allow you to get a bush 20-30 cm high, capable of overwintering normally.

Rhizome planting

How to choose a he althy uterine bush in the country? For reproduction and subsequent cultivation, it must meet the following characteristics:

• meet varietal qualities;
• be big and strong;
• be 4-5 years old;
• to form few peduncles.

There is no need to grow many plants. Usually rhubarb is not grown in large quantities, 2-3 bushes are enough for one family.

Preparing for landing

By the time of transplantation, landing pits should be ready. Their size is approximately 50 × 50 cm, and the distance between the bushes is 50-70 cm. You can plant young bushes in the autumn-spring period.

Rhubarb gives juicy petioles in fertile areas and grows in one place for a long time, so they bring into the planting pits: 1 bucket of peat, 1 bucket of humus, 0.5 l of wood ash mixed with the ground.

When applying mineral fertilizers, the pits are prepared in advance so that the granules have time to dissolve and not burn the root system.

Rhizome division

The division procedure goes through several stages:

• raking the ground from the bush;
• select part of the delenka with 2-3 kidneys;
• cut it off from the main bush;
• planting a delenka on a new site.

It is not necessary to process the cut points: rhubarb has a good survival rate and grows quickly.

Fit Options

Since the green crop prefers nutrient-rich soil, a mixture of peat and humus is poured into the bottom of the planting pit. A seedling is placed in the center, the roots are spread over the surface and covered with a small layer of peat soil. Next, pour the earth mixed with ash.

The depth of the buds is about 3 cm. The rhubarb should be well buried, leaving no buds on the surface. After planting, shed the soil and mulch. In the initial stages of growth, frequent watering is not necessary, as young bushes require little moisture.

Another planting option, when fresh manure is used instead of humus. It is placed at the bottom of the pit, covered with peat chips on top and the roots of the seedling are placed. From above they are covered with earth mixed with ash. The roots are not burned, as there is a peat layer. Gradually, manure rots and releases nutrients. As in the first case, abundant watering and mulching are required.

Planting rhubarb seeds

Seeds are sown directly on the site before winter or used to obtain seedlings. In the first case, the seed material does not need to be processed, since it undergoes stratification during the winter, is saturated with moisture and actively grows. But it will take 2 years to wait for full-fledged, adult plants.

The use of the seedling method is preferable, as it significantly reduces the time of growth and obtaining petiole products. In the garden there is always a small semi-shaded area where you can plant a few copies of rhubarb.

Preparing seeds for sowing

You can also sow dry seeds, but they germinate for 16-20 days. This period of time is significantly reduced if pre-processing is carried out:

• pour melted or clean water into a small container, adding any growth stimulant (Epin, aloe juice);
• keep the seeds in water for 48 hours and drain it;
• lay out on a damp cloth and fold it;
• leave for 10 days in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0, +5C:
• then leave in a warm place until germination.

Planting material treated in this way gives seedlings after a week. After sowing, shoots appear in 8-12 days, that is, two times faster than when sowing with dry seeds.

Sowing in open ground

If sowing is done with germinated seeds, then the best time is the last days of spring. Rhubarb gives good and friendly shoots when the earth warms up to +16, +20C. The soil is prepared in advance, into which they add 1 sq. M. 1-2 buckets of humus or compost and 0.5 liters of ash. For seeds, grooves up to 3 cm deep are prepared and planted after 3-5 cm.

When three real leaves appear, the seedlings are thinned out by placing the bushes at a distance of 20 cm from each other. After 1-2 years, when the plants become adults, they are seated according to the same principle as the delenki.

Early sowing can lead to the death of young seedlings if there is a possibility of returning frosts. The hatched leaves die at a temperature of -2, -6C.

Sowing seedlings

It is desirable to sow seeds in the second half of March, when daylight hours are long enough. When growing seedlings, you should follow a few simple rules:

• we prepare a loose and nutritious soil mixture or use a ready-made one;
• when shoots appear, put the box in a bright and cool place;
• we water and feed twice a month (for example, Fertik Lux solution);
• in phase 2 we plant leaves in cups;
• a week before planting in the ground, we accustom the seedlings to natural conditions, gradually accustoming them to fresh air.

When the seedlings get stronger and get used to the natural environment, they are planted in the ground. Usually landing time is the end of May, the beginning of June.

Peculiarities of transplanting rhubarb depending on the season

It is best to plant rhubarb in a new place in the fall a month before the cold comes or in early spring until the foliage begins to grow. These are the most convenient periods, since all the juices are collected in the roots and the leaves do not draw out nutrients and do not evaporate moisture.The roots at this time do not feed the plant and it tolerates the transplant painlessly.

In the summer, the bush grows, the process of photosynthesis and nutrition takes place in the leaves, so transplantation is extremely difficult and rhubarb does not always take root, reacting extremely sensitively to mechanical damage. At the same time, it will not work to grow a he althy bush.

Young bushes and seedlings lend themselves to summer transplantation, which are transferred to a new site with a large clod of earth. They need regular watering and careful shading.

In the first year of planting, you can not cut the petioles. The plant has not yet reached maturity and with the loss of a few leaves, it will weaken significantly. Cutting is done only for 2-3 years of growth.

Rhubarb care

Caring for a petiole crop is easy. Traditional activities are carried out: watering, removing weeds, fertilizing, loosening. Additional ones include cutting flower stalks.

Feeding and fertilizing plants

It is enough to feed the green crop 3 times per season, since the requirements for fertilizers are minimal. Rhubarb is responsive to organic top dressings, of which the most commonly used infusion of mullein (1:5), chicken manure (1:10) or nettle and weeds.

If necessary, add Kemira-universal complex fertilizer or nitrophoska. Suitable for these purposes and ash, which is added in dry form during loosening before watering. Application rate - 1 glass of ash per 1 sq. m.

Nitrogen fertilizers contribute to the growth of leaf mass, but they need to be applied in the spring, in the summer they contribute to the formation of peduncles.

Water and weed

Because the plant is powerful, it shades the soil and weeds practically do not grow under it, and there are no difficulties with a large number of weeds.

Rhubarb needs regular watering, without which the fleshy petioles do not grow. With a moderately rainy summer, 3-4 waterings per season are enough, but they should be plentiful. Thanks to water, oxalic acid practically does not accumulate in the petioles.

Protection from diseases and pests

Rhubarb is practically free from pests and rarely gets sick. In some cases, "raids" of the buckwheat flea or rhubarb bug are observed. Of the diseases, the most dangerous are gray rot and downy mildew, which most often develop during thickened plantings.

For reliability, you can carry out a three-time treatment with Fitosporin, and use folk remedies for pests. If the disease is severe, then the plants should be removed and burned so that neighboring plantings do not suffer.

Harvesting rules

Harvest can be harvested in the second year of growth in May-June with a stem length of 20-25 cm. The first, earliest collections are the most valuable, because they contain the greatest amount of useful substances. During the season, succulent stems are harvested several times until early August.

Petioles are not cut, but carefully broken out so as not to damage the growth shoots. To do this, the petiole is scrolled several times and pulled out with a jerk down, otherwise the rhizome will suffer. When harvested, the main rosette of leaves is left on the plant. So the bush will not weaken or become exhausted.

Only fresh rhubarb shoots are useful, and in mature ones there is a high concentration of oxalic acid, which is not useful for the body. Leaves and roots are not eaten.

If southerners have a lot of vitamin crops that produce products in early spring, then Siberians have little choice. With spring beriberi, rhubarb stalks will help out perfectly, they can be boiled soups, added to salads and compotes.And if there is a place for a couple of bushes on the site, then early vitamin production will not be long in coming.

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