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By now, all kinds of perennials are greening as the weather warms, somewhat inconsistently this time of year, but it’s spring.
The arrival of rhubarb is greatly anticipated this time of year. It is great for pies, breads, and tea, and even Garrison Keillor sings of its virtues on the Prairie Home Companion radio hour. Rhubarb is not new. Varieties of rhubarb have been discovered in history since ancient China. It was used for medicinal purposes during the plague and given as gifts to the king. There are many historical events surrounding ancient Chinese rhubarb and some can be found at: http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-history.html. Perfect for North Dakota's climate, rhubarb can be commonly found in yards across the state. We appreciate the tangy taste in pies or prepared as sauce over ice cream. According to the website for the “Rhubarb Capitol of the World” in Sumner, Wash., rhubarb was smuggled to Seattle in 1893 by Adam Knoblauch from Eastern Europe. The German people tasted rhubarb while in China and as they say, the rest is history. There’s a complete recounting of rhubarb production in Washington at the website: http://www.ci.sumner.wa.us/Rhubarb/History.htm. If the Germans loved rhubarb, they undoubtedly brought it to North Dakota when they settled the “triangle” of Germans from Russia in the central part of the state. A good German can turn rhubarb into just about anything. Many abandoned houses in small towns still have thriving rhubarb plants in the back yard. Rhubarb (as well as Germans) are cold-hardy making it a perfect plant for our growing zone. It grows until temperatures reach 90 degrees in the summer and goes dormant. It is usually the first edible perennial that appears in the spring. Rhubarb is easy to grow. This large-leafed plant thrives in well-drained soil of almost any type but prefers lots of organic matter in slightly acidic soil. Fertilize new growth in the spring with either a commercial mix or well-aged manure. If you cannot obtain cuttings from your neighbor, you can purchase plant roots. Growing rhubarb from seed is not recommended because it takes too long to produce a healthy plant. Space the roots two feet apart if you need more rhubarb than one plant can provide. Once established it is a prolific producer and will continue to grow new stalks until it becomes too hot. One or two roots will provide enough rhubarb to eat fresh and freeze for winter. Do not pick the first-season crop as the roots need those leaves to become established. As your plant becomes larger and the roots more crowded, you can easily separate and share the cuttings or start new areas of growth. In addition to being easy to grow, studies show that rhubarb has anti-cancer properties and when eaten fresh is a good source of fiber. The acid in a cold piece of fresh rhubarb can counterbalance stomach acid. It is also believed rhubarb extract can alleviate hot flashes. This amazing plant also has anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergy properties which would explain why the Chinese valued this fruit for treating almost anything that ails. There is a toxic chemical in the leaves, however, so you do not want your animals or children ingesting them. They do however work very well for concrete bird baths and other fun art projects. Around here, we love rhubarb pie made in a fashion similar to apple pie with fresh fruit, sugar, and cinnamon. But, my mother Lorraine Kaseman, used an alternate recipe for a more custard-like pie filling. She used to make pies, juice, jellies, and more from her rhubarb patch that may still be growing in the lot of their former house in Fredonia. Be sure and download this month's recipes in PDF form for your recipe box as well as Rhubarb Dream Dessert. Trust me, that dessert is so simple and so delicious you will eat the whole thing in one sitting.
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It appears that more gardens will be planted this year than since Victory Gardens in the 1940s
Yes, I have been a gardener all my life. Now, it seems I field more gardening questions than ever as people are concerned about the current state of affairs in the world. Becoming more “local” has been a goal of mine for many years. My only qualifications for local foods systems is simple. I grew up in one. That’s correct. When we moved to Gackle, I was about 12 years old. That town was amazing. Five hundred people and it had within its borders:
Now that people are paying a bit more attention to local instead of global, Victory Gardens are coming back into vogue. Victory Gardens began during a time of rationing during the war. Both labor and transportation were limited, so people had to fend for themselves. According to a web site, written by Claudia Reinhardt, of the Ganzel Group, “nearly 20 million Americans answered the call. They planted gardens in backyards, empty lots and even city rooftops. Neighbors pooled their resources, planted different kinds of foods and formed cooperatives, all in the name of patriotism. Farm families, of course, had been planting gardens and preserving produce for generations. Now, their urban cousins got into the act. All in the name of patriotism.” So, while I fall into the “farm” family track, I have been spreading the joy of gardening for years now. Several of my jobs, starting a community garden in Mandan and sharing my transplants; okay selling some transplants with education and advice, have prepared me for this time in life. There were Victory Garden posters, pamphlets, magazine articles leading up to PBS Saturday morning show called, “The Victory Garden.” You can find it here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/. Also, on the Ganzel Group website a staggering 315,000 pressure cookers were sold in 1943, compared to 66,000 in 1942. That was how families preserved the nine to 10 million tons of vegetables were preserved from more than 20 million victory gardens. Once World War II ended, so did the government promotion of victory gardens. Not so many gardens were planted in the spring of 1946 resulting in a bit of food shortage until commercial production ramped up. Not only is gardening a good source of fresh produce, the sunshine, stooping, digging in the soil will give you some additional health benefits as well as a good night’s sleep. So, dig in folks. |
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April 2025
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