“Read all the existentialist philosophers, Like Schopenhauer and Jean-Paul Sartre, Even Martin Heidegger agrees on one thing: Eternal happiness is a rhubarb tart. ” --John Cleese

 

Rhubarb is one of those wonderful perennial veggies ( yes it is a vegetable) that everyone should have in their gardens. Plant it once and with very little care it will produce for years and years. It is a multi use plant that provides delicious food, is a very effective medicine, works wonders to highlight and lighten hair, kills insects, cleans pots and pans and is used to make beautiful handmade paper.

Originally from Siberia and mountainous regions of China and Tibet, its use has been documented as far back as 2700BC in ancient China. To this day it remains an important herb in Chinese Medicine. Marco Polo mentions it often in his travel logs and it may have been he who introduced it into Europe. By 1778 it was a very popular food plant there. It didn’t take long for gardeners in this country to get a hold of some and sometime between 1790 and 1800 a gardener in Maine did just that. It was introduced into Massachusetts  and by 1822 it was widely being grown and sold in produce markets.

Rhubarb is one of the first fresh veggies available in the spring. Growing it couldn’t be easier and it’s available at most nurseries this time of year as bare root cuttings, which are divisions taken from the fleshy root of mature plants. To plant them, choose a corner of the yard or garden where they can grow into their full splendor. What I mean is they can grow 4 feet tall and wide so plant accordingly! Prepare the ground well by adding compost or well-rotted manure and loosening the soil down 18 inches or so. Plant the root division so the top is just at ground level, water it in, mulch with straw or leaves and that’s it.  Out in the willow Creek area they would appreciate a bit of afternoon shade, but if you are over on the coast, a spot that gets full sun works with good drainage works better.

Now you have to exercise patience…patience is one of those unseen things a good garden grows….You want your plant to grow  for the first few years to get settled in, big and strong before you begin harvesting. The only thing they will require of you is some water during summer and a fresh layer of compost in the fall or early spring. After 2 years you can begin to harvest a few stems and by the third or fourth year you should be able to harvest enough to eat fresh and some freeze. Just be sure to leave enough so that the plant continues to grow. You are harvesting the entire leaf and stalk. You do this by gently pushing down and pulling sideways on the leaf and stalk. Cut the leaf from the stalk, it is the stalk you want to eat. The leaves are poisonous, do not eat them!

Rhubarb is high in vitamin C and dietary fiber, it is the root that is used medicinally.  To make a golden hair dye take 3 tablespoons of the root and simmer it in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Let the brew sit overnight then strain it and use it as a hair rinse.  Pieces of root can be harvested from 6 year old plants. Harvest time for roots is in the dead of winter. Dig some, but leave some so the plant continues to grow. Rinse the roots and dry them for storage and later use.

Rhubarb leaves make a great addition to the compost and they make a very effective insecticide. Take a few pounds of leaves, chop them up and boil them in a few pints of water for 20 minutes. Strain out the liquid add a few tablespoons of liquid soap and spray. Works really well on aphids and whiteflies.

My favorite recipe and one of the easiest is to take a few stalks, cut them into 1 inch chunks and simmer till soft with just a bit of water and some sugar. This is delicious as is or it can be used over ice cream.