Rhubarb

[Ricardo]

Is there life after forcing?

As a newbie to all of this veg gardening malarky, the rhubarb situation has me a bit confused.
I bought a new plant last year, and it produced really good, healthy strong looking fruit almost immediately. Even so, as recommended I did not harvest any fruit from it but let it die back naturally, and covered it with manure for the winter.
I thought I'd try forcing as it seemed to be a strong plant, and comfortable with the soil and its position, so I covered it with a dustbin and forgot about it.
Its gone mad.
I took a look earlier this week and there are thick sticks (is that the word?) up to 3 ft long!
So we are gonna eat 'em of course.
But I read conflicting views it seems regarding what happens now.
It does seem to be a good strong plant (Victoria) but having picked the blanched fruit should I now leave it for the summer and allow to die back again? Somebody even suggested you should leave for 5 years before harvesting again! You might as well chuck it on the compost if that's the case!
Could one of you knowledgable "rhubarb heads" please explain for a dummy please?

[Glutton4...]

Hi Ricardo, and welcome to the Madhouse!

I was always told that if you 'Force/Blanch' your Rooobub one year, you just left it to build up strength again, and didn't harvest it the following year.

Personally, I have no need to do this, as I love the tartness of the taste as it is, and with just three plants there is plenty to go round. They will need splitting this year, so I'm looking forward to even more in future!

I just wait until the plant has died down, and cover it with stable manure for the winter. Last winter I was out of action, and my Dad forgot, so they didn't get done. Still no shortage this year! They hadn't been Forced/Blanched, but I would follow the mulch and don't harvest next year rule, if they had.

[Ricardo]

Thanks for that Glutton4 - sounds logical (at last).
No more this season and sleepybyes under manure for the winter and a nice rest next year.
I should be a roo plant - they have a better life than we do....

[mrbadexample]

I have a Timperley Early rhubarb plant that I've forced (i.e blanched) and picked from every year (for at least the last 4 years, anyway).

If I'm doing something wrong, it doesn't seem to mind. Sometime in February it pokes its little head up, and I put a dustbin over the top of it:



It grows enough to fill the dustbin:



and I harvest what I need, with enough to give a bit away. But I don't take any more than about a third - certainly not as much as half.

Once the bin is off it starts to darken in colour again, and I continue to take what I need until about July, before leaving it again. I don't take too much at a time, so it's always there when I need a pie.

It gets a drop of manure over winter, and then we start again the following year. I love my rhubarb!

[Ricardo]

Thanks for your pics mrbadexample - you have a very healthy roo plant there!
Funnily enough, I just bought a third plant yesterday, and that was the same Timperly Early variety.
I'm just soaking the root ball prior to planting later today. I'm gonna put a spadeful of rotted manure in the hole first, then backfilling with compost with a manure layer on top. That should get it off to a good start. (My other two are Victoria - one very strong, the other still very feeble. I may give up on it soon)
I'll be made up if the new one looks as good as yours in a couple of years!

[Jeanied]

We have Rhubarb left by the previous occupants so have no idea how old it is but its at least 3 years old. As you can see its coming up through the grass rather than on the veg patch it is next too. Any tips on what I should do with it? Or is it best to leave it where it is as its established?

I suspect that if you just let it grow where it is, it will pretty soon turn that bit of lawn into a rhubarb patch all by itself. If you want it there, leave it - otherwise move the crown in winter and re-seed your grass.
Either way it will appreciate a good feed to help it along.

[mrbadexample]

Thanks for your pics mrbadexample - you have a very healthy roo plant there!
Funnily enough, I just bought a third plant yesterday, and that was the same Timperly Early variety.
I'm just soaking the root ball prior to planting later today. I'm gonna put a spadeful of rotted manure in the hole first, then backfilling with compost with a manure layer on top. That should get it off to a good start. (My other two are Victoria - one very strong, the other still very feeble. I may give up on it soon)
I'll be made up if the new one looks as good as yours in a couple of years!

Thought I'd take a photo this morning so you can see how it's getting on:



You can see on the right one of the leaves has some yellow patches, which is left over from the "forcing". You might also spot a flower head in the middle. This is the first time it has flowered. I think I've had it about 5 years. I'm going to leave it because there's some chap in Oz that's asking for Timperley Early seeds on the swap board, so here's my chance to help out.

It'd help if someone tells me how to collect / prepare the seed though.