Flowering rhubarb

"Rhubarb


Rhubarb is a rhizomatous perennial whose leafstalks (technically leaf petioles but often referred to as ‘sticks’ or 'stems') are grown as a vegetable but used mainly as a dessert. It crops over a long period, is completely hardy and grows in any garden soil.




Quick facts
Common name Rhubarb
Botanical name Rheum x hybridum
Group Vegetable
Flowering time Early spring to late summer (April until July)
Planting time Winter (November until March)
Height and spread Up to 1m (5ft) high and 1m (5ft) wide
Aspect Sun
Hardiness Fully hardy
Difficulty Easy

Cultivation notes


Any fertile garden soil can be used for rhubarb, as long as it is well drained and in full sun. Crowns (‘sets’) can be cropped for ten or more years, though division may be necessary after about five years.

Preparing the soil
Although the large foliage can help smother weeds, the ground should be free from perennial weeds before planting. Dig in one to two bucketfuls of well-rotted organic matter, such as manure, before planting.

Planting
Plant crowns in November or December. If necessary, planting can continue up to the beginning of March. Buy named cultivars, or choose a division from a strong, healthy-looking plant.

Plant the crown with the growing point at, or just below, the soil surface. On wetter soils, planting with the buds just raised out of the soil may help prevent rotting. If planting more than one crown, space plants 1m (3ft) apart, with 1-2m (3-6ft) between rows.

Expected yields range from 4½-13½kg (10-30lb) per 3m (10ft) row.

Cultivation
In hot summers, if the ground becomes dry, growth will slow down and even stop. A spring mulch of well-rotted organic matter 7cm (2½in) deep will help to retain moisture, but do not bury the crowns. Plants will also respond to watering during prolonged dry periods in summer. Apply a general fertiliser such as Growmore in spring or summer at 70g per sq m (2oz per square yard).

Allow the foliage to die back naturally in autumn, then cut away the old leaves to expose the growing points to winter cold. There is no harm in adding these leaves to the compost heap, as the poisonous oxalic acid contained in them breaks down during decomposition.

Rhubarb requires seven to nine weeks of cold weather below 3ºC (37ºF), depending on the cultivar.



Harvesting


Stalks can be picked from March or April onwards for early cultivars, and late April or May onwards for maincrop cultivars. Cropping of new stalks continues throughout summer, as required. The last harvest is usually in late summer, around July or August, though growth may have stopped before this if the weather is very hot.

Do not harvest in the first season after planting, and harvest only lightly in the second season to avoid weakening the crowns. From seedling plants, harvest in the second season after planting or in the first season after division.

Stalks should be pulled rather than cut, to prevent rotting of the remaining stump. Pull stalks when they are between 23-30cm (9in-1ft) long, holding them at the base and pulling gently outwards. Take no more than half the total stalks at any one time.

Concern is sometimes expressed over the concentrations of oxalic acid building up as the season progresses. However, this build-up is mostly in the leaves which are not eaten and the amount in the stalks is not sufficient to have a toxic effect."

 

No, Linz, this is Rhubarb.........


And this is Asparagus...........

 

I always cut the flowers off but I have more than sufficient plants not to need to propagate them.

One word of warning with cutting them. Make sure that you cut the flowering stalks right down. Otherwise they can have a hollow section left that will hold water and, possibly, rot the crown.