Rhubard

[Harvey Mungaknuts]

Does it like mostly to full sunlight?  Looking to move mine and it where I want to put it would get sun from late morning until evening

 

[Petee]

You shouldn't move it till first thing in the spring.  For now, prepare the soil deeply with composted manure and cover the area with cardboard to kill off the weeds.  Dig up the plant in the spring when the first leaves look like small fists.  Divide and replant.  All day sunshine.  If you soil test in February or as soon as you can get a good cup of soil, then send it in for analysis.  $9 at Agway, DuBois Feeds and at your county extension office.

[Harvey Mungaknuts]

Not looking to move right now.  But wanted to know.   Knew I would get an answer from you.  thanks

[Village Idiot]

What do you do with it over the winter?  Should it be covered with mulch or straw or just leave it to the elements?

[Tricia]

I don't cove mine.   It seems to come up every year and thicker

[Petee]

Just let the old leaves on it and it will be fine.  In the spring, cut away the dead growth add a layer of compost or rotted manure and stand back!

[Foxfan]

Is RHUBARD anything like RHUBARB?

[Harvey Mungaknuts]

Yes.   but everyone knew what I was asking.  these fingers and mind do not work together anymore

[Foxfan]

I love rhubarb pie, so I wanted to be sure if it was one and the same. It grew in my grandmother's yard, and it just grew naturally, with no help from anyone, so far as I knew.

[Petee]

They are normally pretty self sufficient but to prevent any disease and to guarantee success (I do know people who have lost their rhubarb), do take away old foliage in the spring, soil test, and add some manure to the soil this fall.  You can prepare the new bed this fall by laying down cardboard layers and adding compost between the layers, or use newspaper.  Get rid of the weeds now so you have a perfectly fresh bed in the spring.  You will find lots of earthworms there too.

[Gilb3314]

It likes ashes, put some ashes around it after youtransplant it.

[lavender]

I remember my grandpa adding ashes to different areas of the garden.

And a wise man he was! Wood ash is alkaline and raises the pH in the garden like adding lime. They used to run water through it and use the result as lye in soap.

[Petee]

Depending on the existing PH of the soil and the PH needed by specific plants then adding ashes could also destroy the mineral absorption capabilities of your plants.

 

A soil test will tell you if the PH needs changed and which way it needs to go.  Too many wood ashes can actually destroy your garden.

http://blog.pennlive.com/gardening/2013/08/is_it_a_good_idea_to_dump_wood.html

[lavender]

Generally speaking the pH of soil in the DuBois area is acidic. High acidity is just as likely to prevent plants from absorbing nutrients as low acidity. Ongoing plant production tends to lower acidity.also. This is why gramps was constantly adding lime or wood ashes to the garden. Other conditions apply in oher areas but if you live in DuBois or the surronding area the wood ashes aren't going to harm your soil.

 

http://www.nutrientstewardship.com/implement-4rs/article/soil-ph-and-availability-plant-nutrients 

[Petee]

I suppose it boils down to how many pounds of wood ashes you intend to add to how large of an area. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKaa34Q50AQ

[lavender]

Wood ash raises the pH of soil because of the calcium content. It has only a fraction of the calcium content of agricultural lime. According to studies published by the University of Maine County Extension Bulletin it is only 14-59% as effective depending on the method used for measuring the calcium content and the source of the wood ash. In the northeast where the soil pH is somewhat lower than ours they go with 3-8 tons of wood ash per acre. Unless you collect it from all the neighbors it would be hard to over ash.  Here are all the pretty little charts for those who won't take Bon's grandpa's word for it. Our gramp's did the same thing and his garden was a lot more productive than mine.

 

http://umaine.edu/publications/2279e/

[Petee]

Just don't put it around your blueberries or your azaleas, or other plants that like acidic soil.  It's not good for everything.