Rhubarb.

Hi All,

I have been told that I am not supposed to eat the first batch of rhubarb on a new plant. Is this true?

Rusty

 

Hi Rusty,

I don't normally pick from a plant till its 3rd season, reason being its building up its massive root structure so it can crop for 20 years+

 

As an aside, my dad used to grow rhubarb when I was a kid, but stopped because he considered it too invasive.

His rhubarb beds were simply rubble and horse manure mixed together. The horse manure for nutrition for the plant, and the rubble, my dad says, causes the roots to fork, making it spread faster.

This year for the first time in probably 30 years, he's growing it again. This time he didn't put any rubble in, and the rhubarb is going verrrrryyyy sllllooooowwwwwlllllllyyyyy.

 

With a rubble yell, he cried more more more.

 

Thanks All.

Rusty

 

I planted 3 Rhubarb plants last year and left them alone, this year I've taken a few from them, but will not be takining anymore, I'm leaving them to bulk up. Next year they'll wish their names weren't Rhubarb

 

I've read somewhere that crowns lifted and left on top of the soil for the Winter so they get frosted, heavily improves the cropping and quality of the stalks the following year. This goes against advice already given here which is standard gardening "rules" shall we say, and one that I too agree with.

So I wonder if this "frosting" is simialr to "forcing" in that after cropping the crown is then allowed to grow the following year without picking to rest it?

I've done this, this last winter but not be design. I was given some crowns that stayed atop the soil over the winter and were only planted in March. They have a very healthy crop on them now but following the old advice of not picking first year after planting I had not intended to pick until next season.

Steve...

 

Rusty i am pretty certain that when you do "pull" some stalks you have to leave some,at least 1 for the plant to continue.

 

You may well be right. I remember my dad claiming once it takes hold you'll never get rid of it, you dig it out but it just keeps coming.

 

We planted three crowns in March which now have some leaves two feet across on really strong red stems shame we can't pick them.
Is the leaving till the second year for strengthening or because they can be toxic in their first year?

 

We bought 3 crowns off ebay this year and stuck them in the manure heap temporarily as the plot isn;t ready yet because of the weather, we also have leaves 2 feet across and one crown has developed 23 stalk's. must admit to nicking a few stems, can't see any permanant damage occuring with that strength of growth.