Rhubarb

[terrier]

I've never been overly fond of the stuff, but last season the lady of the house turns up with some rhubarb plants. Having never grown the stuff before, I consulted the wwweb and followed the instructions. So, now I have several very healthy looking specimens in my plot.The trouble is, when do I harvest them. At the moment they look good enough to eat. Can I harvest now ( beginning April ) or should I wait? What is the optimum time. The web sites I found only instructed on planting, not harvesting.........

[Alice]

Hello Terrier, I think if they look good enough to eat, they are good enough to eat.

[SimonCole]

Likewise... Just wish I had your luck.

[Hazel at the Hill]

They sound just perfect, Terrier! Pull a few stalks from each crown - mine are about 10" stalks and the thinner the better - roast with sugar and ginger, or follow one of Wellie's fab recipes in 'Season to Taste' section.

[Flummery]

Pull them as soon as they're big enough - but I don't crop mine after June - leave some stalks and leaves to die back and build up the plant - like you do with daffodils.

[Grandpadragon]

Normal advice is not to crop the first year to allow the roots to get established. I put in three roots of Timperly Early last year and just took a couple of sticks from each plant about once a month (enough for just the two of us) until September This year they are away like mad a dozen sticks on each and more just showing saving them till next weekend as an easter treat (better than choc eggs )Two points always pull the sticks do not cut as disease seems to get in cuts, and give plenty of manure or your own compost as they are greedy feeders.

[Two_Sheds]

Mine came up last week, and this week it's bolting! (my neighbour's is too)
Anyone know why?

[rustylady]

Shouldn't be bolting yet Two Sheds! My guess is it thinks it's dying so is desperate to produce seed in order to keep the species going. Several possible reasons - too dry, not enough organic material. Cut the flower spike off, feed and water and wait and see

[Waffler]

My rhubarb is coming along nicely (about 2" long so far! - neighbours are fully grown) but I'm a bit concerned about having not 'fed' it. On reflection, I had heard about manuring rhubarb, but I don't actually know when this should take place. Anyone?

[rustylady]

Generally after it's died down at the end of the season you can top dress it with rotted manure. This improves the soil and has the winter to rot down and release nutrients. It also builds up the soil level to some extent as like any permanent crop, rhubarb crowns seem to grow higher each year. Might be an idea to construct a raised bed round the crowns, and top up yearly with compost/manure/bark chippings etc

[Alice]

Rhubarb seems to have become very fikey stuff. When I was a child it was just the stuff that grew at the bottom of the garden and we had to eat it till we were sick of it. But we didn't eat it after 23rd June - the devil went into it on that date !
I saw what they were selling in the supermarket on Friday. £2.40 for 400 gms !!!!
Glad I've got my own. Having Wellies rhubarb ripple as part of the Easter feast. Looking forward to tomorrow !

[Hazel at the Hill]

There are 6-8 rhubarb plants at the Hill (which I thought were ours, but I discover - belatedly - that they DO actually belong to David the other half plotter! but he says please help yourself, so I have) there was one which was REALLY EARLY and putting growth out about 2-3 weeks ahead of any of the others.

Of the others, I;ve been cropping a few slim stems for about the last 3 weeks. In the week there was one plant that had popped up a big ol' flower stem which I snapped off. Am I still ok to crop from this one?

With regard to when to feed, if you plonk a load of manure on each crown in the winter when there is nothing there to see, the new growth will soon bosh its way through!

Will heed the 23rd of June date, Alice - although for me it's rhubarb sponge until I'm back from sunshine hols and no longer worry about the number of calories in Wellies rhubarb ripple!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Thanks, LJ - I didn't know about that!

[Flummery]

Rhubarb - But we didn't eat it after 23rd June - the devil went into it on that date !

There's a saying about the devil and blackberries too. Where I grew up in South Manchester we said not to pick them after October 10th because the devil had trailed his coat tails over them so they were dry and pippy. (They are by then too!)

Flum

[Grandpadragon]

Hazel the 23rd June is to do with the oxalic acid contained in the rhubarb leaves. After this date (roughly) the oxalic acid starts to travel down the rhubarb stalks so it's really best not to eat it after the end of June.

Aaaaargh I cropped until September, would one notice a change in the taste?
I didn't. I wonder if it's variety specific. You've got me all of a tiw was now LJ