Can rhubarb leaves be composted?

[Little Dig]

I know it seems a daft question, but seem to remember reading that the toxins in the leave made it unsuitable. Maybe I'm making it up.

[nick the grief]

As far as I know you can compost rhubarb leaves LD. you can also make a home made aphicide from them, but we're not allowed to tell you by law cos it doesn't comply with eec regulations

[Nicos]

so... Nick..remind me where' the scum of society' would have to look for those details so I can recommend to LJ NOT....to google it!!!!?
Oh ...yes...we compost the leaves in summer and I recall someone on ??Gardener's World? who grew rhubarb specifically to compost it!! Still alive to tell you about it.!
Has anyone seen a book titled '101 things to do with rhubarb' ??? if not maybe we should compile one ??

[nick the grief]

I honestly can't remember Nicos. but I bet if you were to google long & pink ... NO DON'T I WAS JOKING!!! Seriously, try googling for rhubarb leaves or something & see if a Non-EEC site hass the info in the mean time I look in my books

[Little Dig]

Thanks all.
as a side issue "Carrots love tomatoes and roses love garlic" by Louse Riotte is an American book and may not be suject to EEC rules, so I would reccomend their entry on rhubarb but not for info on composting the leaves obviously.

[Jaxom]

As soon as I take the leaves off my Rhubarb stalks I pop them under the un picked leaves on the crown. I was told that Rhubarb is cannibalistic in nature and benefits from it's own leaves rotting down.

[poultrychat]

I always compost my rhubarb leaves - I think it's similar to potato peelings uncooked are poisonous to animals but they are still composted or cooked and fed back to the chooks, I think tomato plants are the same

[SueA]

I wondered about rhubarb leaves as well but have been told that it's O.K. to compost them as the toxins break down eventually. I only found out a few years ago that you shouldn't eat rhubarb raw but it never seemed to do me any harm when I was small- we used to live next to a farm & my best friend & I used to sneak to the edge of the field with a cup of sugar & pinch a stick of rhubarb to dip in it & eat!I must have been more hardy then as now I can't eat anything that's likely to upset the stomach!

[nick the grief]

with a cup of sugar & pinch a stick of rhubarb to dip in it & eat! D

Best way to eat it SueA!!! I used to do this at my grandma's & I turned out Normal

[Nicos]

You think so????!!!

[sewer rat]

Nicos
The poor soul is labouring under the illusion that he is "normal" and it's everyone else who's a fruit loop - just humour him and maybe he'll keep relatively calm and placid. So long as he keeps taking the tablets, we'll be okay

[nick the grief]

I know I'm normal, my invisible friend just told me so

[sewer rat]

Would that be the Invisible friend who knocks around with Harvey, the 6ft white rabbit, or is this another invisible friend ?

[nick the grief]

No thats the one, do you know him as well

[sewer rat]

Think he used to go out with my wee sister