Topic: A couple of Questions

[Alhambra]

Morning All - I've lifted a few of the Maris Piper's and find that some of them have a small brown area right in the centre.  The brown bit can be removed when preparing for boiling and they taste fine.

The cauliflowers are growing and I've had the first one where the curds were tight and it was delicious, however most of the other have curds that have spread and  I'm unsure as to whether they are still edible.

The allotment is a new one and in my quest to learn I would value any views on what could be the cause of this.

Finally, I planted some rhubarb that I got from a friend and it's doing well, insofar as it has now got six of so nice stalks with huge leaves, can I remove these stalks for my rhubarb crumble, I ask as I read that newly planted rhubarb should be not picked in the first year.  This came from an established plant that he had separated.

Thanks

[chriscross1966]

THey're still edible, that problem in the Maris Pipers is down to the lack of rain in the spring IIRC, technically it's a deficiency (trying to remember which one, magnesium?) but it's a watering problem as much as anything

I envy your rhubarb, it keeps dying on me, I've killed four shop=-bought plants so far this year.....

[saddad]

I wouldn't harvest the rhubarb... it needs the photosynthesis from the leaves to build up the root stock...  :)

[Alhambra]

I wouldn't harvest the rhubarb... it needs the photosynthesis from the leaves to build up the root stock...  :)

Thankyou - So I just leave it grow on - and will it die off later in the year at which point do I remove the dead stuff?

[goodlife]

You don't have to remove it at all..
In late autumn when rhubarb growth die down..I just tidy up all dead stuff over the grown..pile it up and leave it do be..by spring it has all dissapeared.. ;)..hopefully doing something good..but certainly not doing any harm.

[antipodes]

Yes, the stalks will eventually shrivel up and die. If your stalks are really big now, you could take one or two, but no more, it needs some energy now! Once the stalks are all dead, just tidy up the ones that are on the ground and leave the rest. I always heavily mulch around the crowns in winter, weed then stack around them manure, and in the spring they will come up wonderfully. I do this also with artichoke.
Mine have been badly drought affected this year, they have been quite poorly, but I did manage to get a baby crown from one of them going, so I will have a new2 year old rhubarb plant next year! Crumble here we come!

The cauliflower will still be edible even if the curds are coming apart  but hurry up because it will flower otherwise. You can chop it up and freeze it if necessary, it will be fine for soups and gratins. I am envious, I have never managed to grow cauli.

[Stevens706]

As Antipodes says the cauli is edible just doesn’t look so good, I use my blown ones for soup, cut it all up including stalks add an onion and ½  a diced swede, cook then blitze in a blender. Return to the pan and bring to a simmer then crumble in stilton cheese. - Lovely

[Robert_Brenchley]

I leave the dead stems to rot. That way the plant gets some of the goodness back.