Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[R2elk]

I don't have a clue what varieties of rhubarb I have.
Last year I wanted some to plant. I looked everywhere. I put the word out to everybody I knew. Then one day an old high school friend stopped in. Oh, I have all kinds of rhubarb, just come on over and dig up whatever you want. So I did. two five gallon bucketsful. Went to plant them. started dividing them. Had over twenty good sized roots.
After I had them all planted, my sister sent me two roots from her old plant. and then someone else gave me a couple of roots. I have a good sized patch started now. lol
then this year, our original patch that we thought had died out, started to grow again. there are four plants in that row.

It can make a good dry wine but takes about a full year before it is fit to drink.

 

[jvls1942]

It can make a good dry wine but takes about a full year before it is fit to drink.

Yes, I made about ten gallons of wine a long time ago. when I was first learning how to make wine. It turned out to be quite bitter. Later on I made some more. That was much better. I might have a bottle or two in the fruit room yet. If it is there, it is over ten years old.

 

[R2elk]

Yes, I made about ten gallons of wine a long time ago. when I was first learning how to make wine. It turned out to be quite bitter. Later on I made some more. That was much better. I might have a bottle or two in the fruit room yet. If it is there, it is over ten years old.

The stuff that is bitter is due to the oxalic acid. This is why they add chalk when fermenting. At 3 months mine was quite bitter. At about one year old, the bitterness was gone to my surprise. I didn't bottle it until after the bitterness was gone.

 

[jvls1942]

today it was winter jacket weather again.
i took some cuttings off of the apple tree and got them in the mini green house. I should have worn gloves, but I didn't stay out too long.
tomorrow i might pick enough rhubarb to make a pie.

 

[jvls1942]

It froze here this morning. apple and plums are blossoming, I hope the freeze didn't hurt them.
have to go in for labs this morning.
annual dr check up on Wed.
that's my life in a nutshell.

 

[R2elk]

It froze here this morning. apple and plums are blossoming, I hope the freeze didn't hurt them.
have to go in for labs this morning.
annual dr check up on Wed.
that's my life in a nutshell.

My experience here is that frost doesn't hurt the apples but can wipe out any hope for my prune plums but not the American plums.

 

[jvls1942]

My experience here is that frost doesn't hurt the apples but can wipe out any hope for my prune plums but not the American plums.

That sounds hopeful. My plums are hardy for zone 4. apples, too.
It wasn't a hard freeze, nor for very long.
luckily some of the apple blossoms have not opened, yet.

 

[R2elk]

Getting close.

 

[bruceha2000]

The bees love the rhubarb blossoms.

Oh, I guess I'll not cut off the new ones that have come out then. The plant is big, no one but me eats rhubarb and then not all that much so I guess the plant will be OK with a little nutrient loss.

 

[jvls1942]

My rhubarb is only in it's second season. It needs all the nutrients it can get. Picked four flower stems off
Annie is cleaning house. She dug up four 6" cast iron fry pans. I cleaned them all up and tempered them. I tried one out for my eggs.
It worked perfectly. No sticking.