Posted on 05/13/2023 6:07:30 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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I dehydrate excess greens...going to try freze drying, too.
Super easy to make. I don’t use EXACT measurements, but today I picked 8 fat stalks (twist off the stalks you want, cut off the leaves and discard - DO NOT COMPOST - Rhubarb leaves have some bad toxins in them) and then I chopped those up, put them in a saucepan with a little water and about 1/2 C of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of Vanilla extract. If you like it more tart, use less sugar. If using more stalks, add more sugar. Tastes vary.
Cook down over medium heat and ‘smoosh’ the Rhubarb with a spoon as you go. I think it took about 30 minutes for it to turn into a jam-like consistency, which was what I was after.
I taste-tested it just to be sure. ;) Can’t wait for bedtime tonight - a book, a dog or cat on the bed, an open window for a Spring Breeze and a (small!) bowl of Vanilla ice cream with Rhubarb Sauce on top!
It’s the Simple Things in Life that keep us going. ;)
Thank you all for the tips! I have decided on a place in the ground instead of pots. I know I didn’t have them in the ground over the winter, but they were in my garage over the winter, so maybe those sub freezing temps in there for weeks at a time (central Indiana) were enough to give them a feeling of being “winterized”. As I look at it, this is a free experiment for me. If it doesn’t work, nothing is lost really, and I’ve gained from the knowledge that I will learn. Will report in the fall if anything happened. If not successful this year, I will probably try to overwinter and see what happens next year. Fingers crossed.
Oh my! I must live in a bubble! I’ve heard of pets and catalytic converters being stolen. I’ve never heard of plants or fountains. People are nuts and also evil. It makes no sense to me.
Wonderful, thanks.
Oh I've been like that my whole life.
I’m sold on mulch after last year. Mulched the little front yard garden while my buddy went bare soil through that 2 month heat wave. He had to water ever other day while I watered once a week.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!
It is a fantastic morning here! We had a big thunderstorm roll through late afternoon yesterday and we got a quarter inch of rain. I did a heavy watering in the morning out at the Garden and then we got the extra rain, so everything is really, really happy this morning. The spaghetti squash looks the best it’s looked since I planted it and my borage has finally perked up with new leaves as has the African Blue basil. I just cut back my sage a week ago which is blooming beautifully and I think I’m going to have to cut it back some more in the next day or so. I’ve never had Sage grow like this plant is growing.
The sky is clear blue, the air is “crispy” & cool as opposed to the mugginess we had all day yesterday. The birds are singing big time and the Robins are in the front field, getting a fairly easy worm meal. Squirrels are out & about - they’re all over the place. The song from Oklahoma keeps running through my mind: Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day!”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SoCVbt8d_Ho
Those zinnias are spectacular!
I’m running late this year due to travel, etc., and didn’t put out the seeds when I should have (two months ago!).
But, my local nursery does carry six-packs of various types of zinnias - maybe I’ll do that today. Here, they will bloom until Thanksgiving.
Pete has corrected me that you CAN compost the Rhubarb leaves. I never have, but he read (and I looked it up) that the Oxalic Acid in the leaves does NOT transfer to any future food you may grow in that compost.
That stuff is bad for people with Kidney issues, so maybe that’s where it comes from?
I also found a few articles about eating the leaves, but I’ll pass. Maybe Grape leaves? Cabbage leaves? I like food wrapped in them, LOL!
So, compost or not - your choice once your Rhubarb is up and running in a few years. :)
We’re getting rained on this Mother’s Day, but we need a good soaker. Beau is running a Field Trial today, so he’s none too happy about it.
Mom & Sis are coming out today, so we’ll find ways to entertain ourselves, rainy day or not. :)
I have composted the leaves and have no way to know if there is any affect on my garden.
Hope you...and all the other posters...have a great Mothers Day!
I had not heard that before and have composted the leaves and have no way to know if there is any affect on my garden!
In any case, I hope you...and all the other posters...have a great Mothers Day!
Nice up to date tagline. :)
Supposed to hit 87 here in E Ctrl MO just South of I-44 and is already 82 and a bit humid.
Weed wacked around the front yard garden. Pulled the carburetor off the push mower, cleaned it out and reinstalled and the mower’s running again.
Got the tractor battery on charge. Needs an alternator. Started this morning but cranked slow. Going to hook up the finish mower to the back and mow the large areas. Then follow up with the push mower and finally the weed wacker.
Made up two gallons of permethrin in a bucket and soaked the legs of a pair of jeans and a pair of socks. Also put some in a spray bottle and soaked a pair of sneakers and pair of boots.
Pushed the spreader with Sevin Granules around on the gravel driveway where no grass is growing. Once I get things mowed I can take a few laps around the house. Driveway that has grass growing through the gravel plus my walking path out back between house and shop/barn. I’m going to put gravel on that path soon to make a circular driveway. Will be nice not having to back in/out and ought to make Fedex/UPS drivers happy. Supposed to rain tonight which will water in the Sevin.
Didn’t think to look for shade cloth or compost at Lowes yesterday. Forgot to grab a couple of mini blinds too. I got distracted in the tool section.
Stopped by Ace on the way back and found some shade cloth in with the tarps. 10’ x 10’ and I didn’t see a price on it. It rung up as $41 so I said no thanks. They didn’t have compost but did have organic raised bed soil that has kelp, alfalfa & bone meal and earthworm castings so that will work in place of compost as a booster when I put the maters in the ground.
Dragged out my Stihl mini-tiller but I don’t like working on those little two-stroke engines so I’m going to drop it off at the dealer and have them get it going. It was given to me non-running. Has compression and seems mechanically ok/intact so I think it just needs a hose kit, primer bulb, spark plug and carb cleaned so it shouldn’t cost much.
Need to get those high tunnel frames welded up so I can have my trailer back that I’m using as 8’ x 20’ workbench for them. Then I’m going to cut some pallets in half to make them 2’ x 4’ and screw them down to the trailer deck to them to make temporary sides for the trailer so I can get a few yards of compost for the high tunnel.
The MO winds seem to have died down for the most part so I should be able to get the frames welded up in the next couple of weeks. Getting them in the ground will be quick. Bracing them, tying them to each other and building end walls will take some time.
Found someone local that has 275 gallon IBC totes for $50 that had vegetable oil in them. Easy enough to clean out. I’m going to use four of them to collect rainwater off the tunnel for watering. Hopefully 1,100 gallons will get me through July & August. Don’t know if I’ll be up and running this Jul/Aug so I might not know until next Summer.
Would be 18 gallons a day x 60 days or 36 every two days or 54 every three days.
Half gallon per plant for 108 plants every three days for two months? Ought to do.
Phone camera decided to focus on the closest thing I guess.
In addition to that, it cuts out 90% of the weeding I have to do.
I lay down either cardboard or landscape fabric between the rows and mulch on top of that. The mulch protects the landscape fabric so you get many more seasons out of it than if it were inn the sun full time.
The cardboard just rots and conditions the soil for the next year.
What about Mutual 901 MISE 901 Woven Polypropylene Fabric, 100' Length x 36" Width ?
A brother in Christ gave me a big roll of such. Water goes right thru. But do not use a propane torch to make the holes for plants, and end up with burned fingers. Flammable one it gets burning.
Mine also lets water through but I don’t know what kind it is. I bought it at Sam’s years ago so it’s a lifetime supply of landscape fabric.
I use scissors to cut the holes in.
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