Rhubarb Gardening AcreSeason

English | 日本語  Good morning. Hot days have continued recently. I hope you are doing well. Today, I would like to share an update on the progress of our rhubarb cultivation. Thanks to the rainfall, an ideal environment for rhubarb has been maintained. This moderate climate condition is beneficial not only for rhubarb, but for plants in general as well. Of course, it is also favorable for weed growth, so we immediately began weeding work. Vibrant rhubarb growth  Perhaps thanks to our weekly weeding and pest control efforts, the damage on the young leaves has become much less noticeable. We also have not seen many pests recently. I considered trying a natto water spray for pest control, but decided to postpone it this time. Natto water is made by diluting the sticky residue (natto bacteria) left in a natto package with 1 liter of water and letting it sit overnight. It is then diluted again with another liter of water. Since it may help suppress diseases and some pests, thi...

English | 日本語 Good morning. Today is the first day of a large-scale mowing operation. I’m fully motivated for the early morning work. Let’s get right to mowing the grass. This time, I’ll be using the Kubota shoulder-mounted engine brush cutter KC222 series. For fuel, I prepared 4L of mixed gasoline at a ratio of 25–50:1. It delivers powerful cutting performance. Overall condition before mowing work (right side) Partway through the work, suddenly and unexpectedly, a female pheasant flew up from near me. Wondering what was going on, I headed toward the spot where she had taken off and found a nest with many eggs inside. The female pheasant I had just seen had been protecting those eggs and the nest. It reminded me that humans are certainly not the only ones who need this land. Since the work had not just started, she must have been carefully protecting the eggs until the very last moment before flying away. Somehow, I felt a little sorry. Situation where the pheasant nest and eg...

English | 日本語  Good morning everyone. How are you doing today? Here, the air has been warm enough to make us sweat even from early morning. This weather has continued since last week, and weed growth has become quite vigorous. Today, we start with weeding work. You can clearly see that the rhubarb is thriving as well. The soil in the lower section stays moist due to the shade from the trees, making it an ideal environment for weeds to grow. We also carefully check for spider webs and the presence of insects. Condition before weeding work Condition during weeding work Then, after confirming the rise in temperature, we planted new azuki bean seedlings. Since it seems that the environment is no longer dropping below the minimum temperature of 10 degrees according to the climate conditions, we transplanted the azuki seedlings that had been grown at home. Hopefully, the temperature will not fall below the ideal growin...

English | 日本語 Good morning, everyone. We have been enjoying beautiful spring weather here before the rainy season begins. It is the best time of year for plants. Today, I would like to share some more good news with all of you. Blueberry tree in bloom The good news is that the blueberry trees have started blooming. I am actually thinking about making blueberry jam together with rhubarb jam. In fact, this is the first time I have ever seen blueberry flowers myself. Blueberry flowers Blueberry flowers The flowers are white and shaped like tiny hanging bells. At first glance, they look similar to lily-of-the-valley flowers, but they do not have any fragrance. After the flowers bloom, honeybees help with pollination. Last year, there were hornets near the vegetable garden, so I wonder what this year will be like. Since hornets sometimes attack honeybees, I will be carefully observing their activity around the garden. During the previous mowing work, it was necessary ...

English | 日本語  Good morning, everyone. I am pleased to share some very good news today. On March 7, we harvested wasabina that had been sown at the seedbed (RL-A11). This is the first harvest of the year. Although the plants are slightly small, this marks the birth of organic vegetables grown without any fertilizer or pesticides. In the garden prior to harvest, there were plants that closely resembled wasabina, so I carefully observed them while harvesting. Condition of wasabina before harvest Wasabina is a leafy vegetable belonging to the Brassicaceae family. Its jagged leaves are its distinctive feature. It can be eaten raw and has a sharp, wasabi-like spiciness with a refreshing aroma. When heated, the spiciness and aroma disappear. Overall condition of wasabina after harvest Because the seeds were extremely small, the root systems were also shallow and thin, making harvesting very easy. I washed off the soil thoroughly with clean water. Wasabina on pizza This is ...

English | 日本語  Good morning everyone. Today, I carried out mowing of the weeds that have begun to grow. As in previous years, a well-established seedbed has formed in the central part of the vegetable garden, so the amount of work is minimal. Vegetable garden after mowing (north side) This mowing was done earlier than last year. Only the upper parts of the weeds were cut, leaving the middle and lower parts intact. The cut grass acts like an umbrella, creating shade and helping retain soil moisture. If the base is cut too close, finely chopped grass can form clumps after rainfall, which has the opposite effect. On the north side, neighboring trees provide shade. Vegetable garden after mowing (south side) On the south side, sunlight reaches the area from sunrise to sunset. Compared to the north side, weeds grow more vigorously, and a wider variety of weed species can be observed.

English | 日本語  Good morning, everyone. It has been about one month since the rhubarb was transplanted, and it is steadily adapting to the new soil. Older stalks (petioles) damaged by insects or leaf scorch have been removed during maintenance work, and new growth is emerging. Soil conditions with adequate moisture At this time of year, we receive a moderate amount of rainfall, allowing us to focus on removing flower stalks and protecting the plants from insect damage. Water shortages do not seem to be a concern right now, so I plan to begin preparing water management measures toward the end of May. I am paying very close attention to insect damage. Rhubarb steadily adapting to the new soil As the rhubarb continues to grow, the surrounding weeds are also growing rapidly. It looks like it may soon be time to prepare for mowing. For now, I will continue monitoring the situation. Current weed conditions That is all for today.

English | 日本語 Logo of AcreSeason™  Thank you, as always, for visiting our blog. Formerly known as “Kitamura Home Garden Fresh Vegetable Updates from Fujimi, Japan,” our blog has been renamed “AcreSeason.com | Backyard Rhubarb Gardening” as part of a new brand direction and long-term vision. As before, we will continue sharing updates on Rhubarb cultivation, home gardening, small-scale farming, seasonal growing records, field management, and rural life in Japan. Working within the natural environment of Nagano Prefecture, we hope to continue documenting the daily progress, challenges, and discoveries that come with small-scale cultivation and country living. At this time, we do not plan to sell fresh vegetables through a farm stand or direct market. Instead, we are planning to develop and sell processed products such as homemade rhubarb jam in the future. Thank you for your continued support of Acreseson.

English | 日本語 As bear activity tends to increase during the coming season, please continue to use caution when visiting the surrounding area. ⚠️ Bear Sighting Notice Important Notice Due to recent bear sightings in the surrounding area, the farm stand has been closed indefinitely to help ensure public safety. For safety reasons, please refrain from visiting the site. As reported by Nagano Nippo (source in Japanese), local authorities captured a bear that appeared near a private residence in Hara Village, Nagano Prefecture.