Putting rhubarb into the potato hole

[stigoftheplot]

Mum was telling me recently that the old boys used to swear by putting an inch of rhubarb into the planting hole for potatoes. Thought I would try it but wondering if there's a science behind & what it helps with?

[Mr Bones]

Not heard of it with potatoes but have for brassicas as it's supposed to protect against club root. When planting out brassicas we make collars from rhubarb leaf to deter cabbage root fly.

[Snadger]

The active ingredient in rhubarb leaves and to a lesser extent in stems is oxalic acid which is supposed to be effective against clubroot in brassicas.

i do like the idea of using the rhubarb leaves around the base of the plant instead of cardboard collars though for cabbage root fly.

Can't see a use for it in spud hole though.

[solway cropper]

The old boys used to do all sorts of daft things. My grandad would throw all his fag ends into a bucket of water and use the resulting filthy liquid as an insecticide. It killed just about everything that went near it and probably didn't do grandad much good either. The fags certainly didn't!!

[Snadger]

The old boys used to do all sorts of daft things. My grandad would throw all his fag ends into a bucket of water and use the resulting filthy liquid as an insecticide. It killed just about everything that went near it and probably didn't do grandad much good either. The fags certainly didn't!!

Yep, nicotine is deadly to all life.

[Guest]

I am guessing it is meant to stop wireworm. How ever I have never had an an issue. Wireworm tends to be present the first year or so when you claim a grassy area to grow in.

[Martin H]

I saw the thread title and thought for a moment I was in an altogether different forum :O

But anyway, the acidity in the rhubarb should help prevent common scab; maybe that's part of the reason.

[Plot70]

The old boys used to do all sorts of daft things. My grandad would throw all his fag ends into a bucket of water and use the resulting filthy liquid as an insecticide. It killed just about everything that went near it and probably didn't do grandad much good either. The fags certainly didn't!!

It helps for vine weevil in pot plants and works even better if the fag ends contain "naughty" tobacco.