Inhertited Garden Questions

I've recently moved up to the great white north from Chicago and actually have the space for my first garden. The house I purchased already has one, so I've inherited it. A couple of questions:

1. There are green onions that are ready to harvest. Mind you, the people that lived here before moved out while there was still snow over the garden. When/How did he plant them to get the ready this early in the season before the snow fell?

2. There are three beautiful Rhubarb plants. How do you know when they are ready to harvest?

3. There is a delicious bunch of chives. Do I cut them all the way back for the winter so they'll be ready for next year?

That's enough for now. I've got more to come, but don't want to overwhelm the responders.

TIA,

Bearfan

[jjj]

You can harvest rhubarb when ever you need it. Typically 2-3 times up until they start to set flowers, but they can still be harvested after they flower. You just don't want to harvest it after about the 4th of July (like asparagus) so the leaves can put effort in to the roots and you will get healthy crops year after year.

Chives can be cut down for winter if you wish, but don't need to be. If you do cut them in fall it will save some clean-up time in spring.

The green onions could be a perennial variety like Egyptian onions, or Walking onions. Or they could have been planted late fall and with luck and good snow cover they survived the winter.

You can harvest rhubarb when ever you need it. Typically 2-3 times up until they start to set flowers, but they can still be harvested after they flower. You just don't want to harvest it after about the 4th of July (like asparagus) so the leaves can put effort in to the roots and you will get healthy crops year after year.

Then do I cut it back at first snowfall, or just wait until spring melt?

Chives can be cut down for winter if you wish, but don't need to be. If you do cut them in fall it will save some clean-up time in spring.

Sounds good to me!

The green onions could be a perennial variety like Egyptian onions, or Walking onions. Or they could have been planted late fall and with luck and good snow cover they survived the winter.

If they are a perennial variety, what do I need to do to not remove the plant totally? I am willing to bet they are.

Thanks again for your help!

[Newt]

Hi Bearfan,

Congratulations on your new home! Great advice from jjj. You might also find these sites helpful.

http://www.savvygardener.com/Feature...egetables.html
http://www.gardenersnet.com/veggies.htm
http://www.explore.cornell.edu/scene...0a%20Vegetable

Newt

[jstr11]

There are some real fnatics on this site don't worry about overwhelming them!!

jstr:D

[user=482]Bearfan[/user] wrote:

jjj wrote:

You can harvest rhubarb when ever you need it. Typically 2-3 times up until they start to set flowers, but they can still be harvested after they flower. You just don't want to harvest it after about the 4th of July (like asparagus) so the leaves can put effort in to the roots and you will get healthy crops year after year.

Then do I cut it back at first snowfall, or just wait until spring melt?

[align=left]You won't need to cut back the rhubarb. Just leave the tops*as a*sort of mulch over the winter, and the rotting organic material will be good for the soil. Then in the spring, if you want things to look tidy, clear the crop residue away, add some composted manure and a little all-purpose organic fertilizer, then mulch with clean straw. [/align]
[align=left]By the way, when you harvest the rhubarb, rather than cutting the stalk, just grab hold at the base and pull. (Of course, that's for next year, since the plant is done producing for you for now.)[/align]
[align=left]*- Judith[/align]
[align=left]~~~~~~~~~~~~[/align] [align=left]***[/align]
[align=left]*[/align]