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.

English | 日本語 Good morning, everyone. The current time is 6:00 a.m. The air is still pleasantly cool this morning. Garden after removing dead leaves and flower stalks Today, I performed a process called pinching on the planted rhubarb (also known as tip pruning). By removing the flower buds, the plant redirects its energy into producing side shoots as it grows. This method helps increase the number of stalks and gives the plant a fuller appearance overall. Weeds are sprouting throughout the raised beds, so I removed them at the same time. Some leaves also show slight insect damage. Weed control for soil cultivation and mulching I also began preparing the soil for additional fertilizer application. First, I started removing weeds, and I am experimenting with weed control using agricultural plastic sheeting. The soil surface has already been loosened, but I plan to repeat the process several more times. After that, I will spread organic fertilizer and thoroughly mix it into the ...

English | 日本語  Good morning, everyone. Today (April 15), I started work again at 6:00 a.m. for about two hours. Lately, I’ve been hearing and seeing more reports of bear activity. The garden where I work is located at the foot of a mountain at an elevation of about 1000m. Around December 2025 last year, an adult Asiatic black bear appeared within a 1㎞ radius of the garden. Situation of carrying bear spray Since then, I have made it a habit to always carry bear spray when going to the garden in the early morning or evening. This spray is the SABRE FRONTIERSMAN･Bear Attack Deterrent. It is said to have a maximum spray distance of up to about 12m. Situation of soil preparation work Today, I will be preparing soft soil mixed with chicken manure to restore raised rhubarb beds that have been damaged by rainfall. Rain is expected in the afternoon, so I will cover the area with agricultural plastic sheets to prevent runoff. Covering ...

English | 日本語 Good morning, everyone. It is currently 5:30 a.m. Today (April 13) is the exciting and enjoyable day for planting rhubarb. I was looking forward to it since last night. The temperature is 9°C. It’s a very comfortable temperature for both the rhubarb and the work. Overview of the rhubarb ready for planting Today’s planting starts from the 47th crown overall. For me, this is quite a large number, and it looks like we can expect a very abundant harvest. I’ll handle them with great care. Newly emerging rhubarb flower 1 Newly emerging rhubarb flower 2 Small flower buds can already be seen here and there, so once all the planting is finished, I’ll remove the flowers. Spacing the rhubarb plants 1 meter apart I dig planting holes for the rhubarb crowns at 1-meter intervals. The holes are about twice the depth of the shovel blade. Small stones are still coming up from the soil. I’ll keep working. Rhubarb crowns lined up at ...

English | 日本語 Hello everyone.　 Today (April 12), I am building raised beds for planting rhubarb starting from the 47th crown. The forecast says temperatures will feel like summer by late morning, so I started early in the morning. Current status of building the raised bed in the third row Just like with the first and second rows, I dug trenches by driving the shovel firmly into buried small stones and grass-like weeds with deep roots. Somehow, it’s a lot of fun. In the end, only the soil remains. Preparing the soil properly with organic fertilizer (chicken manure) I worked organic fertilizer (chicken manure) into the soft soil. Then I covered it with another layer of fresh, soft soil. With rhubarb, this work is normally done one week before planting because disturbing the roots can damage them. However, after checking the weather, I decided to let the soil rest for one day and begin planting early tomorrow morning (April 13). Completed raised bed in the third row The r...

English | 日本語  Good morning, everyone. At last, April has arrived. How have you been doing? It looks like there will be an entrance ceremony at a nearby school today. I saw welcome banners for the new students and decorative white and pink paper flowers being set up at the main gate. It’s still a little too early for students to arrive, but the weather is sunny and the air already feels pleasantly warm. As for me, starting today, I’ll finally begin planting rhubarb in earnest. First, I need to build raised beds. In fields where a tiller can be used, this would probably be easy work, but my garden is too small for large machinery like a tiller, so I have no choice but to carefully build everything by hand with a shovel. It takes time. There are rocks buried underground as well, so it’s definitely hard physical labor. Still, for some reason, it’s enjoyable. First, I’ll build the bed up to the middle height. Current status of raised bed construction Next, I add 100% organic c...

English | 日本語  Good morning, everyone. Today (March 30, Wakashio tide), 11 days after the new moon spring tide on March 19, I planted rhubarb seedlings in the HB seedbed. By the way, the new moon dates for Reiwa 8 (2026) according to lunar farming methods are as follows. Reiwa 8 (2026) New Moon Calendar (According to Lunar Farming Methods) The week following a new moon is considered an ideal time for sowing seeds and transplanting. January 18, 2026 (Sunday) February 17, 2026 (Tuesday) March 19, 2026 (Thursday) April 17, 2026 (Friday) May 16, 2026 (Saturday) June 14, 2026 (Sunday) July 14, 2026 (Tuesday) August 12, 2026 (Wednesday) September 10, 2026 (Thursday) October 10, 2026 (Saturday) November 8, 2026 (Sunday) December 8, 2026 (Tuesday) Considering the climate characteristics of Fujimi along with the schedule above, the warm days about two weeks after the March 19 new moon spring tide seem to provide the best balance for trans...