By Arnold Krusemark We were reminded this past week of another first garden produce we need to mention is ready to eat.
The occasion was a Sunday church dinner. When it came time for desert, we got a rhubarb pie. Another diner said that their rhubarb plants were already at least 2 feet tall. That should produce all the rhubarb you might need through the summer.
Please note: We remember needing to check the rhubarb plants occasionally and cutting off the flower stems.
Another garden produce to check is horseradish. We have several memorable events with our horseradish plant harvesting. The part of the plant we eat is the roots. Horseradish roots are long and stringy and going straight down for many feet. We dug ours in early Spring and get the shovel dug as far down as we could. Then we pulled up the horseradish plant as far as we could go. We cut the roots leaving maybe two inches of root and then replanted the horseradish for another year.
Processing the horseradish roots is another story. We found we had to take the roots and a hand grinder outside where we ground up the roots. Then they are ready to eat - but most sparingly. Maybe 1/4 teaspoonful (or less) at a time.
Otherwise, you may be buying started plants for your garden.
A check with area greenhouses tells us they have at least nearly a dozen different kinds of vegetables, plus sometimes several kinds of each vegetable (tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers, for example).
And maybe add some garden fertilizer too. Follow directions and be sure to wash up when done. This should get your garden up to the next step for now. Remember your house plants too - whether they’re inside or outside for the summer.
Until next week.
