Question:
How would I go about growing Rhubarb from seed?Answer:
- It's not that difficult, but now is not an ideal time to germinate Rhubarb seeds.
- The days are getting shorter, the nights colder, and the growing season is quickly ending. Therefore, I'd wait until February to start the seeds.
- The seed should be an open-pollinated variety because it maintains the same characteristics as its parent plants. Hybrid varieties, on the other hand, have characteristics that change due to genetics.
- Also, Rhubarb grown from seed takes about a year longer to produce than plants grown from division or root clumps.
- The seed can be sown in individual pots or in a flat with commercial potting soil. I'd pre-moisten the soil before planting. To speed up germination, soak the seed in water for a couple of hours before sowing. This helps break down the large, paper-like shell around the seed.
- Planting them in peat pots instead of plastic is recommended because it prevents disturbing the root ball when transplanting. Typically, two to three seeds are planted per pot. It's also advisable to place the pots on a heating mat.
- Heating mats can be found at many garden centers or online by searching for ‘Plant Heating Mats.'
- The bottom heat increases the germination rate. If you start your seedlings in a flat, transplant them into three or four-inch pots when they're one to two inches tall. Starting them directly in pots can eliminate this step.
- The seedlings should be ready for outdoors in about twelve weeks.
- For the average family of four, three to four plants will be sufficient.
- Choose a location that gets at least half a day of sun, preferably in the morning, and space the plants three feet apart.
- In the first year after planting, let the stalks grow without harvesting. I would harvest a small crop in the second year.
- The clumps should be divided every four years or when the stalks begin to thin.
- Dividing Rhubarb is best done during the winter months. Also, only the stems are edible, as the leaves are poisonous if ingested.
- Rhubarb divisions usually arrive at many garden centers in January. These roots come from two-year-old plants; therefore, you can harvest them earlier.
Question:
I have Amaryllis belladonna plants that have finished blooming. Should I cut the stalk or leave it until it dries, like the leaves? I understand the green leaves feed the bulb, but what about the flower stalk? Also, when is the best time to transplant Amaryllis bulbs?Answer:
- The only purpose of the flower stalk is to support the flower. Therefore, you can remove it anytime after the flower has finished blooming or along with the flower if it is used as a cut flower.
- I prefer to do this soon after the flower fades.
- Amaryllis is best transplanted once the flowering and foliage have turned yellow, usually in late spring or early summer. (Amaryllis belladonna, known as Belladonna Lily or Naked Lady, is available from December through February.
- They earn the name Naked Lady because they produce rosy pink, fragrant flowers in the summer without foliage. This bulb is drought-tolerant, has strap-like leaves, can grow in any soil, and is long-lasting.