Good drainage and heavy decay and rots, it is advisable to
annual manurial dressings will dip sets taken from them in a fun-
H1lirL~irr.h ste177.r sirorrld be picked with
n do~vrlward pull so that they corne
nwny fronz the crown without leaving
n strrb.
Rhubarb (Rheunz rhaponticum) a
perennial plant, does not come
into the normal garden crop rota-
tion, and a special bed should be
prepared where it can remain for
some years. As with all perennial
crops, success in growing rhubarb
depends largely on the initial pre-
paration and building up of the
soil before planting.
A large quantity of organic
manure should be worked into the
lower layers of the soil, out of the
range of the roots of newly planted
sets. No stems should, be pulled
for the first year after planting,
and pickings should be light during
the second year.
keep the plants producing, but gicide spraying solution, such as
after the fifth year from planting Bordeaux or other copper fun-
the crowns should be lifted, gicide before planting.
divided and replanted, using only Plant the sets at a depth which
the younger outside buds. will bring their buds just above
Most varieties do not produce soil level after allowing for settle-
stems all the year round, and a ment of the surrounding soil.
range of sets from the main Space the plants 800 mm apart
varieties Stone's Ever-bearing, and make the rows one metre
Sydney Crimson, Wilson's Ruby, apart.
Wandin Giant and Topp's Winter
should therefore be planted. These Cultivation
will give a succession of harvest Rhubarb requires heavy feeding
dates covering almost the full during the winter. Apply 150 g
year. Five plants will provide a of NPK 6 : 6 : 6 complete
reasonable supply for the average fertiliser to the metre around the
family. plants, and fork it into the soil.
Rhubarb can be grown from This can be supplemented during
seed, but seedlings are not always the growing season by application
true to type. Where it is difficult of liquid manure.
to get sets, seed can be sown Rhubarb should be watered
during the winter and transplanted liberally in summer. A mulch
in the spring. helps to retain moisture. Break
The plants will grow enough off any flower buds as soon as they
stem to allow their quality to be appear. Flower development ex-
assessed. Those selected can be hausts the crown.
grown on for another season
before being set out in the per- Harvesting
manent beds. Where obtainable, The stems, which may be picked
sets are the most satisfactory at any stage, should be taken with
method of propagating rhubarb in a downward pull so that they
the home garden. come away from the crown with-
out leaving a stub. Pick the out-
Soil preparation and fertilisers side stems first, always leaving
The rhubarb bed must be well some of the centre stems to pro-
drained. The bed should be tect later shoots.
trenched before planting, even if Several stems should be allowed
the ground has been trenched to mature on the plant. Seasonal
before. When trenching the sub- picking ceases when the later stems
soil, as much organic manure as deteriorate in size. The plants
can be spared should be dug into should never be completely
the subsoil and the lower topsoil. stripped of stems. Some must be
A 150 to 200 mm layer would not allowed to remain to mature and
be too much. A liberal dressing ripen off naturally.
of NPK 5 : 8 : 4 complete
fertiliser should be worked into the
top soil.
Planting sets
The sets are taken from estab-
lished clumps. Each should have
one or two buds. Obtain sets
from a reliable source so that the
right seasonal varieties will be
planted. As old crowns develop

Salsify and
Scorzonera
Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius)
it is very like parsnip and is cul-
tivated in much the same way.
Salsify makes a soup which has an
oyster-like flavor, or can be cooked
in the same way as parsnip. The
roots store well in the ground for
up to six months.
Soil preparation and cultivation
Salsify is deep rooted and may be
up to 50 mm in diameter at the
top. Soil should be well prepared.
Dig the bed deeply and dig in com-
post or animal manure. Salsify
will do well without additional fer-
tiliser in soil which has previously
grown a leaf crop and has been
well manured.
Sow seed in the spring or
summer in shallow drills. Cover
seeds with 10 mm of soil and thin
to 100 mm when the seedlings are
50 mm high.
Salsify is ready for use in five
to six months. Roots should be
lifted carefully with a fork, not
pulled. A good quality root should
be as symmetrical and tapered as
a small parsnip.
Scorzonera (Scorzonera his-
panica) is a close relative to the
salsify and is grown in exactly the
same way. It is used and cooked
like parsnip.
Cooking SaZisfy and Scononera
The roots should be gently scraped
before cooking to remove only a
thin layer of outer peel. This can
also be done by first boiling the
root to soften the skin. Before
cooking, soak the peeled root in
water containing lemon juice.
Salsify can be boiled, mashed,
baked or fried, as well as being
used for soups.
S ~ l v e rbeet
108
4
Silver beet
Silver Beet (Beta vulgaris) is
grown easily and provides a6-
ditional greens during the winter. ,
It is a true beet but forms leaves
rather than bulbs. In New South
Wales it is known as spinach.
Cultural requirements are the
same as for beetroot. Seed can
be sown from January through 1
March, and again in August and
September in the south and in the
summer and early autumn in the
north of Victoria.
Soil requirements and fertilisers
Like beetroot, silver beet does not
like an acid soil and liming may
be necessary. It should be grown
without a check. Apply a good
base dressing of fowl manure and
75 to 150 g of NPK 5 : 8 : 4
complete fertiliser. Side-dressings
of sulphate of ammonia, 30 g to
each metre of drill row, will main-
tain good growth.
Sowing and cultivation
Sow seed in drills 500 mm apart
and 20 mm deep. When seed-
lings are 50 mm high thin to 300
mm apart. Thinnings can be ,
transplanted in another row. 1
Leaves are pulled off like rhubarb '
leaves and the leaf stalk and the '
leaf cooked either together or
separately. Discard older outer
*zonera and Salsify. leaves if picking is not regular.
IS easy t o grow and provides additional greens during the Ir it~rer.