The price of gas at the pumps has definitely changed some of my routines. Instead of exploring new places, I am staying close to home. Luckily, there are lots of things to do to keep me busy during the slow thaw of spring.
During the quarantine of 2020, my oldest son had a strange request. He wanted to plant a patch of rhubarb plants.
His taste buds dictated his interest in gardening. He loves the tart taste of rhubarb especially when it is sweetened with extra sugar. His favorite dishes come from grandma’s house and include pies, fruit crisp and rhubarb sauce. Rhubarb is pretty easy to grow in the right place. Rarely do pests bother the stalks or leaves.
Heirloom rhubarb
We chose a sunny spot with good drainage to plant our rhubarb. There wasn’t a need to purchase plants; we wanted to get starts from existing rhubarb patches. Some plants were taken from each set of grandparents’ mature rhubarb. I guess by definition they are heirloom plants!
In the spring after the ground thawed, we dug up plants that showed just the crowns popping up out of the ground. The plants were transplanted into our newly prepared area and placed about two feet apart.
Rhubarb can grow very large, about 2-3 feet wide. We could’ve given the plants even more space, up to four feet apart. They were covered with manure to ensure rich nutrients fueled the growth. Rhubarb thrives in rich organic matter like compost and rotting manure.
Then, we reminded every kid to water the plants, hoping at least one would water the plants daily. Overall, the plants didn’t require an immense amount of maintenance. We trimmed the leaves off in the fall and added more manure to the soil. In the spring, I raked leaves off the area to allow the young crowns to flourish in the sunlight.
Now that our plants are two years old, we can start to use some of the stalks to make delicious desserts. Two years seems like a long time to wait to finally have a harvest. However, these plants will provide stalks to use for about 10 years. Not only are they scrumptious, but I love the look of the dark red stalks and big, green leaves. It is a winning combination when a plant is lovely and it tastes delicious as well.
Plants from seed
The last frost date in my area is predicted to be the first week of May. Now that it is six weeks out from that last frost date, I can start to grow plants from seed inside. Planting seeds actually draws interest from my kids. Since most seeds sprout pretty quickly, there is gratification pretty early on after planting.
I don’t think people outgrow playing in the dirt; I think they might just forget how satisfying it can be. Growing plants from seeds inside also saves time and money.
Last year with our travel schedule, my husband and I made the hard decision to cut back on gardening. We didn’t want to put in the effort of planting everything, without having the time to keep it growing without weeds.
Absence really does make the heart grow fonder because here we are a year later really excited about growing our own food again. I have another new interest that has me looking around in our woods as a girl on a mission.
Morel hunting
In the past, growing food has been very beneficial, but I have never foraged for food beyond berries. I remember years ago hearing my husband’s grandpa talk about morel hunting.
He and his brother knew spots on the farm and local places where morels would grow late in the spring. Unfortunately, when they passed they kept their morel secrets with them. This seems to be true with many mushroom hunters; they don’t give away the best spots.
Arming myself with research, I have a few ideas of where to look. For now, I am scouting for specific trees that have a known correlation for morel growth around them. We have many Black cherry trees and an abundance of dying Ash trees.
The earliest morels of the season will most likely be found on hillsides with southern exposure. Morels will not grow until the ground temperature is between 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit. For my area, that means late April into May.
One piece of advice I heard is to start looking for morels when asparagus starts growing. Someone else told me the hunting season begins when may apples start to grow. I’m gathering tidbits of advice like squirrels gather acorns. It seems like a treasure hunt and I am here for it.
I would never have predicted that a spike in fuel prices would lead to a newfound enthusiasm for growing and finding our own food sources. I’m starting to realize that I would rather spend my time and energy on fuel for my body than fuel for my car.
