New Arrivals......

This photo of my deck taken earlier  just kind of sums up my jumbled, somewhat productive, yet destructive day.  It started with a super-gross spraying of the apple trees.  This stuff truly is nasty and I don't ever want to use it again...but, then again, I do want edible apples.   I was all ready to try and go organic but then I read several accounts of apple truth and came to the conclusion that I had pest problems last year, and I didn't even have apples yet.  Sigh.  And to make things worse I burned 1/2 of the first tree I sprayed.  Not sure if I did a poor job rinsing the container out after the last Dormant Oil spray, or if the concentrate was not evenly mixed in the sprayer.  I know I measured the poison correctly because I sacrificed my favorite little kitchen measuring cup to do so.  Just a bad experience all around.  Yucky, yucky, yucky.

Then, I got some of that "put off potting-up" done.  Cow pots and a weak fish feed have put me back on the road to garden success.  The fridge is still untouched for any of you who may be wondering.  Next the mail came with live goods and a book, The Backyard Orchardist.

One of the "LIVE PLANTS" boxes had the sweet tator slips in it, a bit earlier than expected.  I was caught by surprise so their bed wasn't ready yet....off I went to throw it all together.  In the end I made 2 hills, covered with black mulch.  I amended with a bit of Potash, K-Mag, and acid loving organic fertilizer.   The slips are quite crowded, but after last year's disappointing harvest I am not willing to give them any more space to prove themselves.  The Georgia Jet slips are now tucked in under row cover with a strip of plastic thrown over for good measure, though it doesn't completely cover the bed.....I better change that (find a larger piece) sooner than later since night temps are still getting quite low around here.  So, -  hills, mulch, and row cover.  I hope it is all enough to keep them going until June comes around!

Aaaaaaand the remaining rhubarb came today as well.  They are still sitting in the box....

......and that is where they will remain until I figure out where the heck to put them.

Got Rhubarb?

There are numerous varieties of rhubarb out there, though Victoria seems to be the most prevalent in my corner of the world.  Others I sometimes see include Mammoth, Macdonald, and Strawberry.  (Pardon the fuzzy leaf on this stem at left. With a "feels like" temperature of near freezing (34℉) I didn't bother taking more than one shot.)  Stalks can be more red or green, and varieties vary greatly in their tartness.  Rhubarb is happy when grown in the North as it requires a cold period to break dormancy.  Full sun will turn out the largest yield, but partial shade is generally tolerated by this plant; it also prefers a rich, well draining soil and a pH in the 6.0 - 6.5 range.

Like asparagus, this perennial is best obtained as a plant (rhizome) rather than grown from seed if you are looking to harvest it in it's first years of residence in your garden.  I have read to "pull" the stalks from the plant rather than cutting the stalk at the base in many sources, yet others still insist a harvest via the knife.   (I find this contradictory information annoying, but probably not harmful to any great extent.  I guess I will just have to wait and see what works for me, what methods do you all use for harvesting?)

Once harvested Rhubarb should be used quickly or frozen.  To temporarily store in the fridge first wrap the stem in a lightly moistened paper towel and seal in a plastic bag.  If there is any leaf fragment remaining on the stalk remove it before storing.  There are more culinary uses for rhubarb than I could possible mention, though my favorite last year was Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble, the recipe can be found here at the Got Crumble?  post.  I find a generous pinch of cloves to be the deal maker in that crumble.  Yummm.  Here is a bit on the medicinal uses and folklore on Rhubarb:

From herbalist.com:

 Overview:

Rhubarb Root is an ancient and gentle, but extremely effective, laxative. It supports good colon health by cleansing it and treating constipation, and in smaller doses, its astringents have eased Diarrhea, Bleedingand Hemorrhoids. Rhubarb Root is considered a wonderful cleanser for the intestines, bowels, liver and blood, helping to rid the system of accumulated toxins. It is also an anti-microbial, antibacterial, and antibiotic and antiviral, and it may even help to improve your digestion.

 Medical Uses:

The tannins in Rhubarb Root produce astringent properties, and when taken in small doses, the tannin activity in Rhubarb supersedes the anthraquinone activity, thus leading to a lower water content of stool, and this action has been effective in relieving Diarrhea. Moreover, the pectin content in Rhubarb Root is also thought to work well with tannins as an anti-Diarrhea. As an effective astringent, Rhubarb Root has been used to alleviate Hemorrhoids, internal Bleeding and inflamed mucous membranes.

Rhubarb Root is considered an "alterative" or agent that helps to gradually and favorably alter the course of an ailment or condition. It helps to modify the process of nutrition and excretion and restore normal bodily function, acting to cleanse and stimulate the efficient removal of waste products from the system. As such, it not only cleanses the intestinal tract and blood, but it is also thought to cleanse the liver by encouraging bile flow. The herb is said to enhance gallbladder function and relieve both liver and gallbladder complaints by releasing an accumulation of toxins.

The bitter principle included in Rhubarb Root is said to stimulate good digestion and improves the appetite. It is considered a "stomachic" that relieves gastric disorders, improves the appetite and gives tone and strength to the stomach. Rhubarb Root is thought to be particularly effective in treating atonic dyspepsia, helping the digestive organs when in a condition of torpor and debility. In addition, the herb is also believed to encourage gastric flow, which also aids the digestive process.

Rhubarb Root is considered an anti-microbial that has been used to treat internal pinworms, threadworms and ringworms.

Treatments:

Rhubarb Root is thought to possess antibacterial, antibiotic and antiviral properties. In vitro studies, the anthraquinone in Rhubarb exhibited virucidal activity against HSV I, measles, polio and influenza virus; and the rhein component showed antibacterial activity against Bacteroides fragilis, but thus far, no conclusions have yet been published.

Rhubarb Root may be used externally to fight inflammation and infection (skin eruptions, boils and carbuncles, etc.) and to promote healing (wounds, Cold Sores and burns, etc.).

WHO KNEW?!?  ☻

I snuck the camera under the hoops this morning to see how all the garden babies are doing in their new home, all seem to be well!  I also peaked in on the sprouts in the Wintersown jug and per Rebecca's suggestion I checked the leaves out....basil.  Hmph.  I have yet to have any tomato other than Sungold seed from Johnny's germinate.  This is making me nervous, especially of the Wintersown SASE tomato seeds.  Those suckers had warm weather all last week and didn't budge.  Not good.

Got Crumble?

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble:

Melt 1 stick butter for topping; In a med. bowl whisk together the following:
1 1/3 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 C plus 2 T sugar
pinch of salt
Add melted butter and pinch together with fingers until crumbly (want some larger chunks); set aside, can be chilled while preparing filling.

Approx 1 quart (or 3 Cups) quartered washed strawberries
Approx 1 1/2 C rhubarb (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1/2 C sugar
pinch of ground cloves
1 T Gran Gala or other orange liquor
1-2 tsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
1/4 C corn starch
Mix cornstarch, sugar, salt, cloves together and toss with berries and rhubarb.

Spray shallow baking dish or pie plate with non-stick spray, add filling and drop topping over until evenly covered. Bake on cookie sheet until bubbly and browned, about 35-45 minutes at 375 degrees. If top gets too brown cover with foil for last 10 minutes bake time.
We ate this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, ENJOY!