On one of the first occasions I met Charlie Wesson, STAA’s oldest trustee, I was carrying a bundle of the last of the rhubarb on my plot and he told me quite firmly “They say if you eat all those you’re going to die”. What Charlie was referring to was the belief that eating rhubarb in late Spring or Summer was dangerous because of the build-up of oxalic acid in the stalks. There’s little evidence, though, of any fatalities as a consequence. It’s the leaves, however, that store the greatest amount of oxalic acid and during the first world war, there were several deaths as a consequence of people following mistaken guidance about the benefits of eating the leaves. Though, if Charlie’s advice is followed, the avoidance of rhubarb in Summer will mean that you won’t have to eat any wooden stalks, and the plant will benefit from not being stripped entirely.
Often, but not always, these stories can misrepresent an important truth. My grandfather swore that peeing on his gooseberry bushes kept them clear of whitefly. That may or may not have been the case, but certainly, that fact never attracted me to his fruit! It is true though that urine does have a high nitrogen concentration and is likely to be generally beneficial to plants.
Tomatoes attract lots of views about how to best feed them. One of our gardeners who provided an oral testimony about his time at the allotment (you can listen to this via the Heritage Resources section) spoke amusingly of visiting his local butchers at the end of the day to collect blood to add to his feed. You won’t find that happening at Tesco’s!
Specific times of the year seem to play a part in some gardening practices too. I was always told that the biggest crop would follow on from planting my potatoes at Easter, and some importance seems to be attached to planting them on Good Friday. Perhaps the limited leisure time available to working-class men and women, who might ordinarily be working a six-day week is the key factor that led to Easter planting?
Anyway, good luck with whatever your gardening shibboleth, and at this time of the year be sure to follow my mother’s advice: “Don’t pick dandelions or you’ll wee in your bed”.
