Gardening

[Keith Tindell]

I realise that this subject is not for many, but here goes.
Reading on another post of the person growing rhubarb with the human waste, i have to say growing up in rural hampshire, my Dad worked for a retired army General from the Black Watch, his name was General Sir Authur Walchope, he had been something big in Jerusalem , and also served for many years in India, he died while we were there in 1948. The bungalow we lived in had no flushing toilet, no electric, no gas. The large galvanised bucket sat outside in a small room in the porch, and when emptied, it was buried in the garden, and the rotational method of growing vegetables, was tied in with the bucket burial, one area used exclusively for the contents, and moved round in patches. the vegetables grown were brilliant i have to say. of course the BIG house as it was known, had all modern conveniences.

So now with lock down, i have extra time in my veg patch here, (different type of manure) i might add, and have always grown my own veg, and of course the season has just begun, and i am in the throw of sowing my tomatoes plants. Sown in small pots, placed for a couple of days in the airing cupboard, and then brought on in the window cill, away from frost, and in a month or so in the veg patch.Anyone who wants to give it a go , can be grown in large pots, old buckets, plastic drums, all with holes for drainage, give it a go, we all have time to kill now, and the end taste is fantastic. kt

[Tony Taylor]

Despite the cold weather our rhubarb is growing like wildfire (without any fertiliser), we have had three decent pickings from it in the last month.

[j.sabourn]

#1.. my Mother always told me that the rhubarb plant had to have an old shoe planted below it. She also usd to read teacups and tell people their fortune, when I asked her what was for tea when coming in from school , she would always say stewed bagpipes and fried umbrellas. Being Scottish and apt to start talking funny I learned to Take most things she said with a pinch of salt. God Bless Her. JWS

[Colin Pook]

Old joke--

I put Sxxx on my rhubarb

Really!! we put custard on ours

Colin

[Bill Morrison]

I am sure I read that in the days of sail, they could smell Korea two days away. all the human excrement was put back into the fields to fertilize the crops, or was it another yarn.

[Tony Taylor]

Same as Bombay, but they just left it in the streets

[Chris Allman]

Something I heard a few years ago is that the leaves of the rhubarb are actually poisonous - is that right ?

[Doc Vernon]

Sure are Chris.

Make a Natural Insecticide with the Leaves

Rhubarb leaves are considered poisonous due to the fact that they contain high levels of Oxalic Acid. Oxalic Acid is sometimes called "ethane diacid"

[John Gill]

Sort of 'rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb' then Tony.

[j.sabourn]

My old man used to grow Show leeks and belong to a leek club at the local boozer. It was a very serious hobby and sabotaging someone’s efforts by rivals was not unknown. The prizes were very substantial, but the growing of such relied on a big outlay for specialised manures and soils. A very serious hobby in the NE of England.i still love Leek pudding a savoury dish, especially the way my mother made, it was nothing like stewed bagpipes and fried umbrellas . JS