Rhubarb Rhubarb is back in fashion - it is so easy to grow and when the rhubarb is fresh from the garden, rhubarb crumble always tastes better! Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that produces freely when established in your garden. You can grow it in a sunny spot, or in semi-shade. Grow it in a separate bed from your annual vegetables, so it can be left undisturbed for three or four years. It needs good drainage, plenty of moisture, and generous fertilising. Prepare your bed carefully by digging in manure or compost, and adding a general fertiliser such as Organic Life. You can buy rhubarb from the nursery as 'crowns' in late winter or early spring. Plant them 60cm apart, water them well, and watch for signs of growth. Mulch the plants well as soon as leaves appear. As the stems grow, apply liquid fertilisers with a high nitrogen content, such as Aquasol or Powerfeed, fortnightly to encourage the growth of stems and leaves. If the plants start to grow flowers, cut them off at the base - you want to encourage only leafy stems. Harvest outer stems as you require by pulling them down and away from the crown. This breaks them off cleanly at the base of the plant. Remove the leaves, which contain toxins and are not for eating. You can store rhubarb stalks in the crisper for up to ten days, but it is better to cook them straight away and store the cooked rhubarb in the fridge or freezer. Rhubarb crumble, rhubarb teacake and rhubarb marmalade are all delicious.
Ruby Chard Why grow ordinary green and white silverbeet (Swiss chard) when you can colour your life with ruby chard, or even rainbow chard! Swiss chard is one of the most rewarding vegetables you can grow. Pick it as you need it and add it to any meal. It's full of vitamin A and C, as well as folic acid, calcium and iron. Ruby chard grows with bright crimson stalks, while rainbow chard has a mixture of purple, red, pink and yellow stalks. They are guaranteed to liven up the vegie patch! You can grow chard from seed, or seedlings. Plant seeds in a punnet or tray, or directly into the garden, in a bed that has been enriched with compost or manure and a complete fertiliser. Cover the seeds with about 1cm of seed raising mix or vermiculite and press them into good contact with the soil. Water with a fine spray. Seedlings will be up in about two weeks.
The best chard is grown quickly, boosted by sun, fertile soil and regular watering with liquid fertilisers rich in nitrogen. Mulch around your plants to keep weeds at bay, and to conserve moisture. You may wish to grow several plants in two or three successive batches so you have an uninterrupted supply of chard right up to late autumn. Once the plants start to produce flowering stems, the leafy growth becomes tough and the plants unproductive. Pick and cook the leaves as you need them from the outside of the plant, and they will keep for about a week in the crisper. You can use the leaves and the stalks together, or use the stalks separately as you would use celery. As a leafy vegetable, stem them for only a few minutes.
Here's a recipe for a tasty salad, with thanks to Sheridan Rogers. To a bunch of fresh, torn ruby chard leaves, add a teaspoon of sesame oil, 20ml lemon juice, a little salt and 4 tablespoons of roasted sesame seeds. Toss them together and enjoy. It is a great accompaniment to a grill or barbecue
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