Bye ek

Bi

NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

MANY INTERESTING plants, fungus and animals may be viewed when hiking through our North Shore parks. Here, at Lighthouse Park, the environmental experience is endiess. This wild mushroom ts just one of the many wonders of nature that can be found by walking through the nearby wilderness.

Rhubarb provides gardens with decades of work-free harvests

PATIENCE IS required when growing rhubarb, because it can't . be harvested at all during its first year in your garden and can only be harvested lightly the second year. © But thereafter, rhubarb will pro- - vide decades of work-lree spring harvesis perfect for making cob- biers, pies and sauces, with plenty left for freezing.

The only edible part of this oth- erwise poisonous plant is the [caf stalk. Discard the green blade of the leaf.

Many cultivators of rhubarb are available. Some are tarter and tang-

ier than others, so be. sure you know what your taste: preference is when selecting a cultivar. , _) Red- “stalked cultivars certainly look prettiest, both in the garden ‘and when cooked, Chipman’s Canady Red has stalks colored cherry-red outside and green inside.

There are also cultivars that vary from red'to green, such as Flare. with a sweet-tart tasic.

Rhubarb prefers a cool. climate where summer days aren't too hot and the ground is frozen in winter. Coolness and a sunny site promote better red coloring in the stalks.

Rhubarb .also’ needs good drainage.

Plant roots two to three inches deep in carly spring in well-pre- pared rich soil, separating plants. by two to three feet.

Each plant will produce two to _ three pounds of rhubarb. .

Since rhubarb is a heavy feeder. supply additional compost or manure every spring as a side- dressing, and again in summer once you've finished harvesting.

Harvest rhubarb when the stalks are full-grown and the leaf hus lost most of its crinkly appearance. Do not cut the stalks, but pull them away with a twisting motion.

Harvest only a few stalks from the plants during the second grow- ing season.

In subsequent years, you can harvest stalks for two months, but

‘then stop harvesling so the plants

Cut off flower stalks us soon as they form, since seed formation robs the roots of stored energy.

When the rhubarb patch becomes too crowded — probably after six or seven years — it’s time to divide the crowns.

Dig up the plants and split ire

MAIN STORE

into sections, take Ihe opportunity to enrich the soil. and then replant the best divisions. discarding or sharing the rest.

Crowded beds ure also the ones most eager to flower, so don’t put off dividing them.

STOREWIDE SALE 20" 10 50” oFF

ano NO GST

VANCOUVER ~ 1148 Homer St., Tel: 682-1483

OTHER STORES

RICHMOND - 44731 No. 3 Road, Tel: 276-2252 HOURS: Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

NEW STORE i PARKER PLACE, RICHMOND

‘Regular $50 SALE $2.5 & UP

COMFORT CLOTHING

BEHIND BUY LOW 709 WEST 15TH Mon.-Fri. 1Qam-Spm Sat., Jan. 22, Sun., Jan. 23 10am-Spin

980-5420

“also many more in store spools © halogen lighting fixtures ® floor. lamps ® table lamps’

-® wall sconces ___ Cente Electrician Available...

4380 No. 3 Road, Tel: 224-0888 HOURS: Sunday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

remain vigorous.

Be sure to leave at least half the foliage on each plant as you har- vest.

115 East Ist St, N. Van,

987-0556 =* =

We're here Th Urs,

LONSDALE

East tst St.