By George Weigel/The Patriot-News
Q: I'm planting rhubarb and was curious whether the oxalic acid in the leaves would make composting a bad idea.
A: I compost my rhubarb leaves and am still here to write about it. Assuming these leaves are making up only a small percentage of your total compost, the oxalic acid will be so diluted in the final product and then in the ground after you work in the compost that it'll amount to nearly nothing by then.
This acid explains why you shouldn't eat rhubarb leaves (eat just the lower stalks) and why this is one edible that deer and rodents never bother. It's one of my favorite vegetable-garden plants... and it's a good-looking one, too.