Growing Rhubarb

[sparkyaj]

Hi guys..........

we have two rhubarb crowns that are slowly starting to grow. Thing is/...................If we pick from them, they look like they will die. Is their a way to get them growing fast or to produce lots of stems so you don't have to pick the plant for one pie?
Thanks

sparky

[dragonz]

give it a month or so and they will probably be taking over, even if you do pick all the stems they wont die, they will just grow more stems all summer and then go to sleep over the winter. mine has enough for 1 crumble at the min, but I'm going to leave it a couple of weeks so I have enough for some schnaps and some crumble

[Jaxom]

How old are your crowns?
It is always advised not to pick any Rhubarb from the crown in its first two years. You can pick, as much as you want in it's third year but not before that.
After dividing a crown it is also advised not to pick any Rhubarb in the first year after the division, this allows the crown to establish and bulk up at the crown.
Jax

[dni_dave]

Schnapps

We are doing the same as dragonz - letting it go enough to get both a pudding and a couple of bottles of schnapps out of it!!! I wonder how many of the others are also doing the same.

I might buy shares in a vodka company as I feel this year will be a bumper year for their sales. My sister in law is doing the sloe gin, and we're of course doing the schnapps, with maybe some of it distilled using the freezer method just for Xmas day!!!

I do have one quick question though, how long do you force Rhubarb for - a few weeks, a couple of months or the whole summer? I know that you have to give it the next year off from forcing once done.

cheers

[WiZeR]

has a rhubarb schnapps recipe been posted anywhere? I have a party next week and it's be great to use my first crop for schnapps.

[andrewo]

The schnapps needs more than a week to mature. It is advisable to leave new crowns for two years to allow the crown to get out roots and store energy. After that you can pick at will. I now have six crowns, one of which is new, so I don't go without rhubarb!

[WiZeR]

scrubb that idea then. I have no idea how old my crowns are, how long do they last?

[SueA]

As long as you split them when they get large & congested rhubarb crowns should last for years. I've only got a 'baby' Timperley Early one at the moment & am resisting the urge to pick the few lovely sticks it has grown, I think in the second year it is okay to pick a few sticks as long as you leave enough to help the crown build up it's strength.
dni dave- I think you should have been forcing earlier in the year & picking around about now.The forcers are usually put on in late winter after the crowns have caught some frost, the stalks then come through pale & early & you check them & take the forcers off in spring. I don't think you could keep it up through the summer.

[Shortie]

Wizer, mine has never been split and has been growing happily for at least 20 years. It had a good start in life though with a whole compost heap tipped under it when planted and it's not restricted in it's growth (which is how I think I've now come to own a bit of a monster?)

[Jaxom]

Tonight we ate the first Rhubarb from my garden. The crumble on the top was also very tasty
Jax

[Shortie]

Letting mine mature a bit more for a plentify supply for schnapps. Have my first 2 litre bottle at thre ready (recycled may I add, from an olive oil bottle)

Might spare some for crumble this weekend

[sewer rat]

I used to have one old crown that has produced a heavy crop each year for the four years I've been here - but since Andrewo posted the schnapps thread, I now have six crowns - all mature and all producing great quantities of stalks - should be ready for picking starting next month - do Smirnoff sell by the tanker ?

[andrewo]

I just use Aldi vodka, doesn't matter if it's cheap or expensive, the rhubarb and sugar do the rest! Glad that there are so many converts to this little understood plant - it lasts forever regardless of splitting.

[pigletwillie]

Andrew, I have half a dozen crowns as well but as a bonus, the old boy with the plot next door has a whole row of it. I have permission to help myself. So I did this afternoon to 10lb of it. The demijohns are down and the vodka is in, but can anyone give me the link to the scnapps recipe?

[sewer rat]

Evening PW
You'll find the recipe in "Juicy Gossip", thread entitled "schnapps", post number 5.
Let us know how you get on.