I've just been given 2 massive rhubarb crowns, however I've had
differing advice on what to do with them. Do I leave them to over winter
just sat on the soil, or do I plant them properly when the first frosts
start?
Thanks
--
Mike Buckley
RD350LC2
http://www.toastyhamster.freeserve.co.uk
BONY#38

mike. buckley wrote:
I've just been given 2 massive rhubarb crowns, however I've had
differing advice on what to do with them. Do I leave them to over
winter just sat on the soil, or do I plant them properly when the
first frosts start?
Thanks

I'd plant them now. Most British winters are warm enough to allow
them to start rooting, which is good; I see no real point in leaving
the crowns to get frosted. Bonemeal and lots of muck or compost in
the planting area; and even some newspaper torn into strips dug in at
the bottom of the hole will help, too, as with beans.

If they really are big mature ones, you should divide them, making
sure there are at least two or three good growing points on each
piece.

Mike.

On 11/1/04 7:41 AM, in article ,
"Janet Baraclough.." wrote:

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

Bonemeal and lots of muck or compost in
the planting area; and even some newspaper torn into strips dug in at
the bottom of the hole will help, too, as with beans.

It's well worth digging a really big hole and filling it with as much
organic material as you can lay hands on. All the above plus buried
annual weeds, old leather shoes and chopped up wool jumpers, roadkill,
bones the dog has finished with, spoiled straw, plant waste you were
about to compost.

Although rhubarb will grow in very poor conditions, it really repays a
richly prepared site and will produce many years of far larger crops of
early, tasty, tender stalks than one eking out a hungry existence in
Oblivion Corner.

Janet.



Absolutely yes...but road kill?? Now who has the 'jam' to shovel up 'road
kill? Yes, it is a good idea...but just who will do that?
Hummmm....gosh, I think I would...hadn't thought about that one until you
mentioned it. Just when one thinks all ideas have been thought of...then
this!
That's one for you Janet.
Gary
PS: And just think, you are there and I am here...and yet we come up with
amazing stuff...keep the flood gates open. We will amaze everyone with our
ideas...all we need is someone to teach us how to make money with
them....(vbg

In article , Gary Davis
writes
On 11/1/04 7:41 AM, in article ,
"Janet Baraclough.." wrote:

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

Bonemeal and lots of muck or compost in
the planting area; and even some newspaper torn into strips dug in at
the bottom of the hole will help, too, as with beans.

It's well worth digging a really big hole and filling it with as much
organic material as you can lay hands on. All the above plus buried
annual weeds, old leather shoes and chopped up wool jumpers, roadkill,
bones the dog has finished with, spoiled straw, plant waste you were
about to compost.


Absolutely yes...but road kill?? Now who has the 'jam' to shovel up 'road
kill? Yes, it is a good idea...but just who will do that?

I know several people who are only too happy to add road kill (in the
form of pheasants etc) to their Sunday lunch.

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

The message
from Gary Davis contains these words:

It's well worth digging a really big hole and filling it with as much
organic material as you can lay hands on. All the above plus buried
annual weeds, old leather shoes and chopped up wool jumpers, roadkill,
bones the dog has finished with, spoiled straw, plant waste you were
about to compost.

Although rhubarb will grow in very poor conditions, it really repays a
richly prepared site and will produce many years of far larger crops of
early, tasty, tender stalks than one eking out a hungry existence in
Oblivion Corner.

Janet.



Absolutely yes...but road kill?? Now who has the 'jam' to shovel up 'road
kill? Yes, it is a good idea...but just who will do that?

I would...

....not only that, but there is a fine tale of a Rover Scout camping
weekend around the late '50s or early '60s in which we (well, I was the
main instigator) stopped en route to despatch an injured hare, which
later, I jugged - to *ALMOST* universal acclaim.

Hummmm....gosh, I think I would...hadn't thought about that one until you
mentioned it. Just when one thinks all ideas have been thought of...then
this!

My rhubarb has a big bag of bones (amongst other things) under it, my
rural road being fairly quiet.

That's one for you Janet.
Gary
PS: And just think, you are there and I am here...and yet we come up with
amazing stuff...keep the flood gates open. We will amaze everyone with our
ideas...all we need is someone to teach us how to make money with
them....(vbg

I might make some on the rhubarb next year. Planted this spring as a
*VERY* small crown of Timperley Early, by the autumn the spread was six
feet, leaf-tip to leaf-tip.

By 'amongst other things' I include 20 dry gallons of unrotted horse
shmanure, feathers, pork skin and old woollies. The stuff acted as a
hotbed and the rhubarb was planted a couple of feet or so above it, and
a foot above ground level. Now, it's six inches below ground-level, and
waiting for a mulch of well-rotted stuff.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Kay contains these words:

I know several people who are only too happy to add road kill (in the
form of pheasants etc) to their Sunday lunch.

hand upbounce="up_and_down"

Me-me-me-me-me-me Miss!

Please, Miss, any time, as long as it's not scrambled.

/hand/bounce

mode="look_about_furtively"

But remember, you *MUST* have the permission of the owner of the land
(Highways Dept?) and have a game licence.

/mode

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes
The message
from Kay contains these words:

I know several people who are only too happy to add road kill (in the
form of pheasants etc) to their Sunday lunch.

hand upbounce="up_and_down"

Me-me-me-me-me-me Miss!

Please, Miss, any time, as long as it's not scrambled.

/hand/bounce

And I almost added to my post 'and I bet Jaques d'Alltrades is one of
them too' ;-)

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

The message
from Kay contains these words:
In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes
The message
from Kay contains these words:

I know several people who are only too happy to add road kill (in the
form of pheasants etc) to their Sunday lunch.

hand upbounce="up_and_down"

Me-me-me-me-me-me Miss!

Please, Miss, any time, as long as it's not scrambled.

/hand/bounce

And I almost added to my post 'and I bet Jaques d'Alltrades is one of
them too' ;-)

Oh dear. I went out with a small carrier bag this afternoon and returned
with half a dozen bluelegs and an uninhabited horse mushroom which
filled an omelette pan.

I suppose your (correct) surmise was fuelled by my posts recommending
ground elder as a pot herb, and very young hogweed shoots too (good when
served like asparagus) and my liking for the middle stems of spinach
beet leaves, either served with butter, or in a cheese sauce.

Oh, that, and my recipe for squirrel pie. I reckon that one was a bit of
a giveaway. (Though the squirrels I use each have a ·22" hole in the
head.)

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes
The message
from Kay contains these words:
In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes
The message
from Kay contains these words:

I know several people who are only too happy to add road kill (in the
form of pheasants etc) to their Sunday lunch.

hand upbounce="up_and_down"

Me-me-me-me-me-me Miss!

Please, Miss, any time, as long as it's not scrambled.

/hand/bounce

And I almost added to my post 'and I bet Jaques d'Alltrades is one of
them too' ;-)

Oh dear. I went out with a small carrier bag this afternoon and returned
with half a dozen bluelegs and an uninhabited horse mushroom which
filled an omelette pan.

I suppose your (correct) surmise was fuelled by my posts recommending
ground elder as a pot herb, and very young hogweed shoots too (good when
served like asparagus) and my liking for the middle stems of spinach
beet leaves, either served with butter, or in a cheese sauce.

Oh, that, and my recipe for squirrel pie. I reckon that one was a bit of
a giveaway. (Though the squirrels I use each have a ·22" hole in the
head.)

Actually, it was your willingness to eat wild mushrooms combined with
your general sheddiness. Recognition of a familiar being ;-)

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

The message
from Kay contains these words:

/thnip/

Oh, that, and my recipe for squirrel pie. I reckon that one was a bit of
a giveaway. (Though the squirrels I use each have a ·22" hole in the
head.)

Actually, it was your willingness to eat wild mushrooms combined with
your general sheddiness. Recognition of a familiar being ;-)

Ah. If you want to see further examples of sheddiness, have a peep at
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/cobble.htm

It isn't finished yet, and won't be until I can either get Gertrude to
run Windows 98 at a better resolution than '16 Color' (scanner software
turns up its nose at it) or network the present notwork so I can use the
standby (with not much room on its HDs)

I *THINK* I've found a hardware conflict in Gertrude which is causing
the display problems, but curing it by removing the ofending card will
result in the notwork network becoming a notworkatall.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , Gary Davis
writes
On 11/1/04 7:41 AM, in article ,
"Janet Baraclough.." wrote:

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these
words:

Bonemeal and lots of muck or compost in
the planting area; and even some newspaper torn into strips dug in at
the bottom of the hole will help, too, as with beans.

It's well worth digging a really big hole and filling it with as much
organic material as you can lay hands on. All the above plus buried
annual weeds, old leather shoes and chopped up wool jumpers, roadkill,
bones the dog has finished with, spoiled straw, plant waste you were
about to compost.


Absolutely yes...but road kill?? Now who has the 'jam' to shovel up 'road
kill? Yes, it is a good idea...but just who will do that?

I know several people who are only too happy to add road kill (in the
form of pheasants etc) to their Sunday lunch.

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

There's a road side diner in the us of a that specialises in cooking road
kill "From your grill to ours"
:-)
Chris S