Rhubarb

[cptncrackoff]

Hi, with Raspberries all sorted (although they're not getting planted til the morning)

I'm now looking at Rhubarb, Can anyone suggest a cheap place to get some, and what varieties everyone likes!?
thanks
jon

[darcyvuqua]

alright mate

i wanted rhubarb in my plot next year so this year i ordered 5 mixed rhubarb from ebay they came as seedlings quite healthy and verywell packed i planted them into pots to see if they would take all 5 did really well even produced some nice stems

i never picked one as year two onwards was ment as picking so i fully recomend the seller i can provide a link if needed

[Nicos]

Timperley Early is my favourite.
Early and pink/red and nice and sweet!

I think it's a good idea to get a few different varieties. There will be one you prefer in a pudding and another for jams , wines etc.

[alldigging]

The cheapest place to get some is from someone who already has some in their garden.

[greenjelly]

Try J Parker - the bulb people. I got some from them last year and they are doing really well - they came as 2 in a pack for about £6.00, I think they were on special offer.

Also check out the bargain basement of your local nursery - a few weeks back I got a full grown plant of Champagne Rhubarb, which is the best to my mind for £3.00 as it was last years plants. I've planted it and mulched it and there's no reason why it shouldnt be as good as this years stock.

Also if you have an allotment ask for some spare - rhubarb can be a beast and always needs a good split up after a few years.

Greenjelly

[BUFFS]

try to get some from someone local,you then know what you are getting,when we moved in,i cleared a thick blanket of weeds and found about 8 crowns,10 years on we have 13....happy days...

[Ranger Smith]

Just make sure you eat the red stem only, and not the leaves, as I have heard that the leaves are poisonous. And, you're gonna need a lot of sugar to eat with those things, as they are very tart. That's why people make strawberry-rhubarb pie, as it gives you a way of using rhubarb and toning down the acidity.

[Aberdeenplotter]

The leaves are high in oxalic acid. Real men take their rhubarb without sugar mind you I love dipping a raw stick of it in the sugar bowl and having a good old crunchy suck

[Bigmallly]

If you're on an allotment Jon, have a walk round the site & I'm sure someone will either give you a crown or split one for you. That's how I got mine but us northerners are generous like that.........

[cptncrackoff]

If you're on an allotment Jon, have a walk round the site & I'm sure someone will either give you a crown or split one for you. That's how I got mine but us northerners are generous like that.........

You guys love an old thread! haha!

Ive only deen 3 or 4 people on the whole site so far, to be fair they've all been pretty friendly, and i've been offered some bits and bobs already!

I have since this thread bought and planted 8 crowns, i cant help but feel that they're all gonna die, just sitting there nestling in the cold damp earth, fingers crossed and time will tell!

[cptncrackoff]

The leaves are high in oxalic acid. Real men take their rhubarb without sugar mind you I love dipping a raw stick of it in the sugar bowl and having a good old crunchy suck

Rhubarb without sugar.... i beleive my father would refer to that as 'ar5ehole to elbow'... i'm not entirely sure what that means...so i'm off to google!

[veggiechicken]

James Wong recommends raw rhubarb too RAW RHUBARB: SURPRISING TREAT - James Wong's Homegrown Revolution Blog

[Aberdeenplotter]

You guys love an old thread! haha!

Ive only deen 3 or 4 people on the whole site so far, to be fair they've all been pretty friendly, and i've been offered some bits and bobs already!

I have since this thread bought and planted 8 crowns, i cant help but feel that they're all gonna die, just sitting there nestling in the cold damp earth, fingers crossed and time will tell!

I wouldn't worry too much. Some folks advocate just throwing the crowns out on top of the ground to expose them tpo thewinter weather and then plant them in spring. Yours will be fine I'm sure

[Marcher]

B&Q have some rhubarb rhizomes, I only saw Red Champagne. There are two in each bag and they're £2.78 or two bags for £5 (two bags of anything - they're selling all sorts - geraniums, dahlias, onions, lilly of the valley, lupins, red hot poker, etc... - I got onions too).
I exhausted my Timperley early last year by planting it in shade and sand. I thought I could improve it with muck and that it would compensate for the shade. The dog kept trampling it and so it lost stems many times and was basically cut down 5 times and so was weak by September. I binned it and I'm going to put it in a better place this year.
I'll probably stick the packet of rhubarb under a shed and hope for a bit of frost in January. That's what I do with most things that require cold dormancy - stick them under the shed and forget about them till spring planting.

[rabbit]

I've inherited a very old rhubarb patch, no idea what variety but the pink it just starting to show through now. I'm going to buy some dustbins to try and force it. apparently it's sweeter and softer that way. It's been neglected for a year probably so I don't really know how healthy the plants are but legend has it people have repeatedly tried to dig up that patch and it comes back every time....