What rhubarb to plant?

[Trev-P]

Hi All, I recently got my first allotment and I really want to plant some rhubarb, given your experience any recomendations on what to buy or even what to avoid?

[Plot70]

Have a scrounge around the other plot holders for a root of something that grows well in the local soil.
I bought a couple of roots from a local shop and was not that impressed.
A root from another plot holder from a plant that got too big has done the trick for me.

[Mr Bones]

I agree with Plot 70, it's the right time of year. Ask around if anyone is splitting crowns or would be prepared to let you have a piece.

[Jungle Jane]

When wondering about varieties,I used to look at the RHS award of garden merit list,then google the trial & varieties listed & choose,these are the rhubarbs on the 2021 list -
Fulton’s Strawberry Surprise,Raspberry Red,Timperley Early.
Full list in the link -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/a...vegetables.pdf

This forum s a good way of sharing info on varieties,when you see what everyone’s talking about in the spring etc & how good their results are,you get good info here. Ts very quiet here this time of year,some members must be hibernating,it’s nice when people come back after having their hibernation The redder the stems the sweeter but that would be difficult to tell at this time of year.

[Bren In Pots]

A neighbour gave me a piece of his plant that had previously been given him.
In turn I've since passed roots on to two other people from my plant.

[Trev-P]

Thanks for the advice, its turning cold here this weekend so doubt many will be about, I'll have a nose around and see if I can spot any likley targets lol

[Bren In Pots]

I agree free is best then later on you could always buy a named variety.

[quanglewangle]

Anyone prepared to come to West Cornwall and dig it out is welcome to have mine. We've decided to dig it out and grow something we'll actually eat.
Unknown variety. Vigorous and healthy looking.

[Babru]

I have Raspberry Red plant. It just went in last winter, so like the advice says, I didn't crop from it in its first season. It grew enormous, loads of stems, in good soil part shade east facing spot. So, if you want a biggie, that would do the trick. I chose it because it's RHS recommended.

[Nicos]

I’m liking more and more the idea of red tinted cooked rhubarb.
Most of my plants over the years have been mostly green stemmed. I have one which has a bit of red and I now cut that off and set aside as a ‘treat’.
No doubt it tastes the same but there is something more welcoming to me having my rhubarb rosey coloured.
I have added raspberries to recipes previously to add colour but I do like your suggestion of the Raspberry Red variety Baru.
Thanks for suggesting that

[ameno]

I’m liking more and more the idea of red tinted cooked rhubarb.
Most of my plants over the years have been mostly green stemmed. I have one which has a bit of red and I now cut that off and set aside as a ‘treat’.
No doubt it tastes the same but there is something more welcoming to me having my rhubarb rosey coloured.
I have added raspberries to recipes previously to add colour but I do like your suggestion of the Raspberry Red variety Baru.
Thanks for suggesting that

I only have three varieties of rhubarb, so I don't have the greatest number of varieties to compare it to, but my red variety is definitely a lot less sour than my other two greener varieties. Enough so that it's even palatable raw with no sugar (although without sugar it tastes more like a vegetable than fruit), and I use much less sugar when I'm cooking with it (less even than actual fruit like blackcurrants and gooseberries).
I don't know the name of the variety, sadly. All I know is it has deep red stems (even near the top of the stem it's half red and half green, and near the base it's blood red all the way through the stem), and it's a quite late emerging variety (some 4 weeks later than my green variety).

[Nikkinak]

We have quite a bit of it at our allotment, not sure of variety but seems to be growing well. If you're in Essex you are more than welcome to have some 🌱