Rhubarb year 1

[peter]

Subjective opinion, I stick by what I said about green being sourer than red.

[WestHamRon]

Ahhhh, it goes all-floopy. I wondered what happened.

That 'R' in the month thing must have applied to something else, maybe shooting geese.

Thanks for the tip though and the oxalic acid warning, I've been reading every thing I could get hold of on rhubarb growing and whilst there are a few variables I'm now comfy that I'm doing things right.

Oysters ?

[Westi]

And crabs!

Westi

[Ricard with an H]

Not rhubarb then ?

I ceased being embarrassed my most of my bloopers, It's a 'coming-of-age' thing that mostly makes people smile.

Just sliding to one side a little, and on the subject of cow-poo. You'll perhaps remember my panic during my first year after I had dug a lot of this local-resource into my my beds then learnt about AP contamination.

This valuable resource will continue to be available to me for many years, they truck it past us and down the lane to the fields where it is scattered on the fields, the boys are always happy to drop a couple of digger-buckets over my bank at the top of the paddock. A shovel full in a dustbin filled with water is a good feed though I have killed a few younger plants as I'm learning.

Top mulching rhubarb with it makes rhubarb very happy, the blackberry plants love it and I've now mulched the sea buckthorn in it's third year since planting.

[Westi]

Don't ever change Richard! It's your posts - asking questions, sharing good & bad, the odd pic & your wonderful descriptions of your area that will encourage new members to join!

When I joined I had so many questions but didn't want to feel a numpty so soldiered on - yep I learnt through self experience but could have saved myself a lot of grief & expense! Of course I also learned the guys on here are so very tolerant, hence why I still ask questions - oh & the age thing - it's still the same questions sometimes!

Westi

[Ricard with an H]

You're so kind Westi, and what a wonderful way of encouraging new members.

I have never been embarressed about asking questions about anything, it's the quickest way to learn. Most people who can help are happy to help and you surprised me by saying you avoided asking for fear of being labeled "A numpty". I thought that was a 'blokey-thing'.

Yes, there are those who enjoy to ridicule and label people as simpletons for asking what appear to be simple questions. Mostly this is a way of increasing their own perceived lack of stature or lack of self confidence. Sometimes these types have the least to offer in the way of help by not knowing when to say, "I don't know".

I've already gone the long way around on a few things by not asking enough simple questions or researching. Researching most subjects is easy these days, the problem is in interpreting the often differing answers and then applying them to my environment which is quite different in terms of average gardens/allotments.

Why did I try to grow cabbages and carrots without netting protection, it's because I wasn't paying attention and didn't ask the right questions. The extra effort is worth the result. And growing carrots in stoney soil with fresh compost in the ground, what a plonker. I just was-not paying attention.

For those reading this who are on their maiden voyage in gardening you can lessen the learning curve by asking the right questions and most people love to help.

[Geoff]

I bet you ask the way when you are out and about.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Richard, i agree with Westi, you really do play a large part on our forum. You have a really nice way of starting subjects, and then carrying them right through until most things have been covered. And this enables the more experienced members and also the novice gardeners, to join in.

So keep up the good work old bean....

[Ricard with an H]

I bet you ask the way when you are out and about.

it's a sat-nav or i'm lost.

Two sports I've been involved with over the years that I now just 'tinker' with have an element of danger for those who ignore fairly basic rules. These 'rules' if ignored often affect the participants survival into old-age, both these sports had much younger men (And women) than I and the very-worst problem was the inability to admit to being a novice and asking for guidance and help.

What I've found over these years is that asking questions and asking for help amounts to loss of male stature and men rarely compliment each other in the same way ladies compliment each other for the same reason. I'm not suggesting females can't be assertive with displays of ill-gotten confidence where they shoot themselves in the foot but in my experience it's a blokey thing that I had to work hard in overcoming whilst mentoring students and novices.

Thans OH, I'm really humbled and I have to say I love this forum for it's humour and the way it's turned our terrace into a kitchen garden by way of advise and reading source on just about any subject, if you go and look it.

Today I'm a roofer again.

[retropants]

Very nice woodstore Richard! Imagine the spiders

[Ricard with an H]

A smelly-dead rats.

Thank you, it was hopeless without gutters, the rain dribbled down then got blown in. I tried two economy roofs that I thought suited a wood-store, both were a complete waste of time and effort.

[retropants]

there's a saying about that sort of thing...starts: if you want something doing properly......

[Ricard with an H]

I'm suitably embarrassed.

[retropants]

No need to be embarrassed! I was inferring that is is better to make something yourself, rather than rely on the premade. So, a compliment methinks!