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Growing your edible garden is a fantastic way to get yourself a constant supply of organic produce you can harvest on the fly. Not only that, it saves yourself the trouble of going all the way to the supermarket to get all the fruits and veggies you need for your daily meals.
It is worth noting, however, that gardening can be an intimidating task – especially for beginners. If you happen to be new at gardening and want to learn more about the hobby, you can start with simple and easy-to-grow vegetables like rhubarb to ease you into gardening.
Here’s everything you need to know about growing rhubarb in your very own backyard.
Rhubarb needs the right season and location to grow properly. Before planting anything, you should first select an area that has fertile, well-drained soil. If the soil does not drain well, you can use raised beds or large containers to keep the roots of your rhubarb from becoming waterlogged. Ideally, you should also pick a spot that gets at least five hours of daylight exposure. Eliminate any perennial weeds in the area. Since rhubarb is classified as a cool-season perennial, the best times to plant your rhubarb is during the seasons of early spring and fall. For beginner gardeners, it is recommended to start with year-old rhubarb crowns, since the seeds will take a very long time to grow before they are ready to be harvested. Once the season is right and you have selected your planting area, then you are ready to plant your rhubarb.
One of the biggest concerns when growing rhubarb is keeping your planting area weed-free. As long as your rhubarb does not compete with any weeds, they should remain protected from pests and diseases.
When harvesting your rhubarb plants, remember that only the stalks are edible, since the leaves are poisonous. Moreover, your plants should not be harvested during the first growing season. Instead, they should be harvested after they are around three years old, once they have become established. You’ll know the stalks are ready once they have grown 12 to 18 inches long and are not too thin.
Your delicious rhubarb stalks can then be made into rhubarb pies, jams, pudding cakes, and other recipes. It may take a little bit of time investment, but growing your own rhubarb can give you consistent and rewarding results for the years to come.
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