The rhubarb we grow on Plot #59 – no idea of the cultivar, it was here when we took on the plot in January 2014 – is a late starter but keeps going right through the summer and into the first few weeks of autumn. When it starts to go over – yellowing leaves, softening stems, dropping to rot on the mulch and weed matting beneath – it’s a sure sign that our main growing season is done for the year.
Always a bitter-sweet time. The main harvests are in, or just finishing off. Crop growth has all-but stopped. Even the weeds seem to have slowed down (a bit). Still plenty to do, of course: courgette and squash plants to clear away for the compost, sunflowers to cut down and set the stems to dry out, beans to pick for drying and podding. Not quite top-fruit pruning season yet as the trees aren’t fully dormant, so there’s that to look forward to. Plans to make for next year, when we can start up all over again. A winter to prepare for and get through (cleaning plant labels! ordering fresh seeds! scrubbing down greenhouses!) in the meantime. And if I’d gotten my act together this year there would be winter crops to plant out, tend, harvest… but I didn’t, so there aren’t. Next year though. Definitely.
Happy autumn and a safe winter, everyone.
2 replies on “The Rhubarb – and the Growing Season – Is Over”
We must have inherited the same rhubarb variety when we took on our allotment! Enjoy some downtime anticipating next year!
Cheers Mal, you too.