Next time you pick some rhubarb stems to eat, you can put the leaves to good use rather than just composting them.
The leaves contain so much oxalic acid and anthraquinones that they are poisonous to eat, but they make a good inseticide spray. Rhubarb roots should be considered poisonous, too, unless used by a skilled practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. . If the plant is subject to extreme cold, the dangerous acid can migrate into the stalk, so be sure to store rhubarb in a warm or temperate space, just like the climate it normally grows in.
Insecticide
Rhubarb leaves can be used to make an effective organic insecticide for any of the leaf eating insects (cabbage caterpillars, aphids, peach and cherry slug etc).
- Basically you boil up a few pounds of rhubarb leaves in a few pints of water for about 15 or 20 minutes,
- allow to cool,
- then strain the liquid into a suitable container.
- Dissolve some soap flakes in this liquid and use it to spray against aphids.
Keep away from pets and children.
Hair Color
This is a fairly strong dye that can create a more golden hair color for blond or light brown hair. Simmer 3 tbsp. of rhubarb root in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes, set aside overnight, and strain. Test on a few strands to determine the effect, then pour through the hair for a rinse.
Cleaning pots and pans
Use Rhubarb to clean your pots and pans. If your pots and pans are burnt, fear not! An application of rhubarb over the afflicted area will bring back the shine in next to no time. Environmentally friendly too!
