The crown in my garden (Rhubarb)

Member Name: anwar7

Product:	Rhubarb
Date:	08/04/09 (310 review reads)
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I like to grow as many fruit and vegetables as possible, both to save money and because I like to know where my food comes from! Rhubarb is probably one of the easiest plants to grow and needs very little attention.

Rheum Rhaponticum, to give it its Latin name, originated from Siberia. It was introduced into Britain in the late 16th century although was not used as a food until a lot late. Most people think of Rhubarb as a fruit but technically it is a vegetable as it is the stem that is eaten and not the fruit.

Growing Rhubarb is really simple. Rhubarb plants or crowns as they are known, are widely available form garden centres. They are usually sold as 1-year-old plants. To plant you will need to dig a hole a big bigger than the plant. Fill in with soil and add a small amount of compost. Then water well. I suggest you plant 3 crowns to start with and this should produce enough Rhubarb to keep a family of 4 well supplied!

Rhubarb thrives in either full sun or partial shade. My Rhubarb gets very little sun as it is planted under trees. However it does very well, even though I tend to neglect it! If the weather is very dry then you it is best to water the Rhubarb, as it does like moist soil. Rhubarb will not suffer in the frost. In fact a frost is helpful to produce the best stalks in the spring. It is best not to harvest your Rhubarb in the first year after planting but leave it to become established. By the second year you should have strong, healthy plants that will produce good stalks. In the Spring it is important to remove any flowers you see developing as failure to do so will weaken the plant.

Rhubarb is ready to harvest from about the middle of May and will continue to produce stalks until August. In the autumn I cover my plants with compost to help the soil retain water. I should warn you that Rhubarb leaves are poisonous to humans and should never be eaten! You will need to make sure dogs stay away and are not tempted to munch on them either!

I like to force my Rhubarb as this growing method helps produce tender stalks. To do this all you need is a large clay pot and simply place over the Rhubarb as you see the stalks starting to grow. The plant is then deprived of light and will grow upwards in search of light. The stalks grow much more quickly when forced and taste better too!

I like to use Rhubarb in a variety of recipes. My favourite is Rhubarb crumble-lovely served with ice cream! Rhubarb is also good to stew with a little sugar and then added to porridge. It can also be added to natural plain yoghurt. I have also used Rhubarb to make muffins with god results. Rhubarb can be used in savoury dishes too, although I only use it for sweet dishes. For lots of recipe ideas go to www.rhubarbrecipes.co.uk. Rhubarb is high in vitamin C and a good source of fibre. It has few calories and is low if fat.

Summary: Rhubarb