Monday, July 6, 2009

It's Rhubarb not Brain Surgery

Edit 8/8/2010 New planting of Rhubarb 'ever red'

That's right, planting Rhubarb is as easy as falling off a log.

A/ Gather what you need. In this case a digging fork (I use a fork rather than a spade because I don't want to cut any of my wormies in half), 20l bucket of compost, 10l bucket of bulls*&T (cow manure) and two recently purchased Sydney Crimson Rhubarb plants.




B/ Spread the compost and cow manure evenly over the soil surface and turn in to the soil using the digging fork.

C/ Dig yourself a little hole the same depth as the plant you have. You can test it buy sitting the pot in the hole and see if it's to deep or shallow.






D/ Knock the plant out of its pot sit it in the hole and back fill to the same height as the potting mix it came in. Firm down into the soil gently (but not to much) to help the plant adjust to its new surroundings.

* I won't be adding any fertiliser at this stage. I'd like the plant to begin establishing a root system first and then apply a half strength fertiliser.
Maybe even a week liquid fertiliser in about four weeks time.
The main reason for this is I don't want to take the risk of having any new developing roots being burnt by to rich a soil base.




E/ And finally some recently raked out of the chook pen straw mulch and a good bucket of water each and Bob's your Auntie, Rhubarb planted.


Till next time, cheerie bye and happy rhubarbing.

Stewart



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3 comments:

Chloe m said...

Thanks for tip about fertilizing. Never thought about that.
Rosey

Gustoso said...

I read somewhere you need to leave new rhubarb a year before you eat any stalks to allow a mature root system. We lost ours, and I wish we hadn't waited! ;-)

My Veggie Garden said...

Hi Gustoso, 100% correct, let them do their own thing in the first year and then there all yours after that.