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darius So.App.Mtns., United States(Zone 5b) May 29, 2005

Found this on the internet while searching rhubarb recipes:

Rhubarb to the rescue: aphid spray and saving the ozone layer

Rhubarb's talents extend beyond pies and cakes. In fact, scientists have discovered that the oxalic acid in rhubarb stems (the same stuff that makes your lips pucker) can be used to scour cooking pots.

If aphids are pest in your garden, rhubarb can help. In her book, "Slug Bread & Beheaded Thistles," author Ellen Sandbeck describes a unique use for rhubarb leaves--as an aphid spray.

Here's the recipe:
Chop 3 to 5 rhubarb leaves and add to a quart of water.
Boil for 30 minutes.
Strain and add a dash of liquid, non-detergent, soap.
Fill spray bottle with liquid and use it on aphids.
Note: Because rhubarb leaves are poisonous, don't use this spray on edible plants.

Rhubarb not only saves our plants from aphids, it may also save the planet. In the mid-1980's, when a hole was discovered in the ozone layer, researchers found that CFC's were one of the primary for the ozone's decline. One of the most common forms of CFC's is freon, which is used as a refrigerator coolant. Conventional methods for breaking down CFC's were costly and dangerous. But in 1995, two Yale scientists discovered that oxalic acid, found in rhubarb, helped neutralize CFC's. Rhubarb to the rescue!

My Personal Note: Have no idea how it affects beneficial insects or hummingbirds who feed on nectar flowers.

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CHILIHEAD Huntsville, AL(Zone 7b) May 30, 2005

Thanks for the info. I wish it grew down here, I'm not big on desserts but rhubarb pie is by far my favorite.

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