Ezinsukwini zobusha bakhe obude, ngesibindi i-rhubarb yahamba ngezinyawo ezintabeni zamaHimalaya naseTibet. Kodwa-ke, akasazishintshi izindawo zakhe zokuzalwa. Nge-bakoat eyodwa: inzalo enomusa yalesi simila ikhule emhlabeni wonke, ngaphandle kwehlane lase-Afrika kanye neqhwa laphakade le-Antarctica.
Ngokokuqala ngqa ukubona i-rhubarb emakethe. I-petioles emnyama eluhlaza okotshani umthengisi ukhangise kakhulu, ecula, "Ah yebo rhubarb, ungazisoli. I-compote, i-jelly, ujamu, umpheki, uzoba nempilo futhi uphile iminyaka eyikhulu!"
I-Rhubarb (Rheum)Ngayithenga. Futhi empeleni akazange azisole. URhubarb weza ukunambitha mina nawo wonke umkhaya. Futhi-ke ngazenzela isethembiso: lapho nje sengizoba ne-cottage, nakanjani ngiyotshala.
Manje usuku lokulindelwe sekufikile. Kuliqiniso, kwathatha iminyaka elitjhumi ukulinda, kodwana angizange ngikhohlwe ngesithembiso sami. Cishe owokuqala ukuthenga imbewu ye-rhubarb. Ngaqala ukubonisana nezakhamuzi zasehlobo ezinolwazi, ukuthi zingasitshala kanjani nokuthi kuphi. Kepha kwavela ukuthi akekho owaziyo ngalokhu, ngoba kulezo zindawo i-rhubarb yayingathandwa ikakhulukazi. Ngengozi yakhe nangobungozi wahlwanyela imbewu, njengoba ayazi. Ngenhlanhla, ngathola uzungu nomhlaba omuhle ovundile - i-chernozem emsulwa. Ngalesi sisekelo, ngicabanga, futhi amatshe ayohluma.
Izitshalo zenze ekwindla, ngo-Okthoba. Isimo sezulu besingafudumele futhi sishisa ilanga ekwindla. Ekuqaleni umbhede wathukululwa kahle futhi ngokujulile nge-humus.
I-Rhubarb (Rheum)Imbewu ethengiwe yayilungele ukuhlwanyelwa ngaphandle kokulungiselela kwangaphambili. Ngakho-ke, wenza ama-roseo angajulile, afafaza imbewu kakhulu kuwo futhi azihlanganisa ngoqweqwe lwesentimitha elilodwa. Manje kwahlala ukulinda intwasahlobo.
Ekupheleni kuka-Ephreli, kwavela amahlumela okuqala. Abaningi babo baba ngabokugcina. Ukuhlunga kwe-rhubarb kwakungekho phezulu kakhulu. Isikhwama sonke sembewu sanikeza amahlumela ayi-12 kuphela.
Ekuqaleni kukaMeyi, izithombo zithole amaqabunga aqinile ngempela. Bazihlalise kude nge-10 cm ukusuka komunye nomunye njalo emasontweni amabili kuze kube ngu-Agasti wapha umanyolo we-organic. Yebo, kunjalo, uvuna ukhula njalo futhi wakhulula inhlabathi embhedeni. Ekupheleni kukaMeyi wabona ukuthi iziqu ezahlukahlukene zaqala ukukhuphuka maphakathi nezihlahla ezincane zamarhubarb. Kwavela ukuthi babeyizimbali. Hawu, omncane futhi ngisaqala, ngacabanga. Ukuzingela kwezimbali kwahlekisa umphefumulo. Isandla asibaphakamisanga. Futhi, njengoba kwenzeka kamuva, kwaba yize. Angilindelanga i-petioles enomnandi kunoma iyiphi iminyaka elandelayo - cishe wonke amandla okukhula anikezwa i-rhubarb ngezimbali. Amaqabunga akhula mancane futhi mncane. Ngakho-ke, kokuhlangenwe nakho kwami siqu, ngifunde ukuthi isiqu sezimbali esibonakalayo se-rhubarb sidinga ukunqunywa. Futhi njalo. Ngaphandle kwalokho, ungaboni i-petioles ye-juicy yokuphila isikhathi eside. Ngithole isivuno sami sokuqala ngonyaka wesithathu. URhubarb akavumanga ukuqhakaza. Ngokushesha lapho ngibona umcibisholo, unqunywe ngokushesha. Futhi cishe lonke ihlobo. Yebo, ngicishe ngakhohlwa. Ngonyaka wesibili wezibulo lami, ngatshintshana ngashintshana nabanye (cishe ama-60 cm). Futhi abafuni ukunakekelwa ikakhulukazi. Abadingi ukukhanya okuningi, futhi okuphambene nalokho, bathanda izindawo ezinomthunzi. Into esemqoka ukuthi kunomswakama omningi futhi akukho ukushoda kokudla. Ngakho-ke angibenqabeli ukondla. Lapho wawungekho umgodi womquba, wawudla ngokugcwala, manje sengishintsha umquba kanye ne-humus. Bakhula ngokuthokoza.
I-Rhubarb (Rheum)Sekudlule iminyaka eyisithupha. Ngalungisa iphutha lami. Ngivumela isihlahla esisodwa kuphela ukuqhuma, ukuze kube nembewu. Ngishiya isigaxa simbali eyodwa esihlahleni, khona-ke imbewu izoqina futhi ibe nempilo.
Kepha manje ngiphindaphinda i-rhubarb, ikakhulukazi ngokuhlukanisa i-rhizome. Kwenzeka lapho ukufika kwami kokuqala kuneminyaka emine ubudala. Ukuze wenze lokhu, ekwindla ngikhetha isihlahla esinamandla kakhulu futhi sithuthuke kahle, simbambe sisike lesi sihlahla sibe yizingxenye eziningana ngommese. U-Delenki omile kancane elangeni, abese etshalwe emigodini ebilungiselelwe ngaphambili enobubanzi obungu-50 cm futhi buqamama cishe amamitha ukusuka komunye nomunye. Ngesikhathi sokutshala, ngifaka kakhulu amanzi futhi ngifaka umquba kahle kanye nomquba. Lapho ngokuzalaniswa ngokuhlukanisa ama-rhizomes, vele ngiqoqa isivuno esincane sentwasahlobo elandelayo. Futhi ngamandla aphelele, lesi sitshalo siqala ukukhula kuphela ngonyaka wesibili.
Ngihlanza kancane kancane amaqabunga kulo lonke ihlobo futhi nginamandla kuphela. Ukuze isitshalo singapheli, ngihlala ngishiya okungenani ingxenye yesithathu yamaqabunga esihlahleni. Futhi ukuze i-rhubarb ikhule ngokushesha, qiniseka ukusika iziqu zezimbali.
I-Rhubarb (Rheum)© Johann H. Addick
Rhubarb, ngathelela bonke omakhelwane ezweni. Esizeni esingajwayelekile manje ngeke uhlangane namakhanda akhe aphambili. Futhi enye yezindlela zethu ezithandwayo etafuleni lethu i-rhubarb jam.
Ngendlela, muva nje ngifunde ukuthi lesi sitshalo sinomthelela empilweni ende futhi sinomphumela omuhle emzimbeni wonke. Ochwepheshe baseChinese abatholakale ekwakhiweni kwezinto ezithinta kahle hhayi ukusebenza kwegciwane lesisu, kodwa futhi banciphisa kakhulu ubungozi besifo senhliziyo. Umthengisi ojabule we-rhubarb ukhulume iqiniso!
