rude rhubarb

[newtothis]

hi guys first post on here in a long while.
i have two crowns that i picked up last year and was advised to leave them in there pots as it was too late to get them in the ground. well thay are growing well in the pots again i rearly need to get them in the ground but a bad back is stopping all work at the moment, any way i need some advice please. one of them is looking a bit rude. it is growing this funny stem up the middle with a bright red tip is this a seed head if so what do i do about it. i am going to try and post a photo



many thanks
Nige

[newtothis]

[DenBee]

Excuse me while I crank my neck back upright again.  ;D

Yup - it's a flower.  Definitely needs cutting off.

[newtothis]

ok. sorry about that never thought to turn it round. where do i cut it off? should it be by the base. thanks

[DenBee]

I think the important thing is to get rid of the flower so that it doesn't get a chance to set seed.  I would cut it off as low down as you can without damaging any stalks.  :)

[newtothis]

ok. i have taken a knife to it and cut it off as low down as i could get. hope it will be ok it have left a hold where it was hollow. thanks for your help.
nige

[DenBee]

Good luck with your rhubarb crop this year.  I've got a huge clump of it in my garden which was about the only decent thing I inherited when we moved into this house.

And it turns out I'm practically the only one in my family who likes it.   ::)  The kids think it's revolting.   Luckily my mum will take as much as I can give her.  And I did manage to find a recipe last year that my husband liked.  It involved making a pie using a pastry made with oaty crumble mix.  Delicious.  :)

[newtothis]

thanks very much. i hope to get it in the ground soon or put it in some big pots for this year as i cant use my plot, will it be ok in the pots do you think? i have some chicken pellets to put with it. that pie sound nice is the recipe on the site too. we did the jamie oliver pork marinade dish the other night very nice.
thanks again

[Suzanne]

I always feel bad about cutting off a plant in its moment of glory. Having said that mine only flower May and June and I have usually had enough rhubarb by then. I leave them because the bees love them. :)

[actiongran]

 ;D Im a bit disappointed cos ive never seen a rhubarb flower! i have 3 different types and I eat them all as fast as i can pick them. Must be the early influences of the late beloved Adrian Bloom.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Cut the flower buds off as soon as you see them. Mine produces multiples every year. That being said, a couple of my crowns failed to survive the waterlogging last year, so I do wonder how strong it's going to be.

[allaboutliverpool]

I think that is has gone to seed because it does not like being in the pot and it has run out of nourishment.

I would get it into the ground and do not pull any leaves this year.

I pulled my first lot of forced rhubarb today. It is interesting looking around different plots to see how some varieties have leaves the size of tennis raquets already and others have barely started to shoot.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

[GrannieAnnie]

Good luck with your rhubarb crop this year.  I've got a huge clump of it in my garden which was about the only decent thing I inherited when we moved into this house.

And it turns out I'm practically the only one in my family who likes it.   ::)  The kids think it's revolting.   Luckily my mum will take as much as I can give her.  And I did manage to find a recipe last year that my husband liked.  It involved making a pie using a pastry made with oaty crumble mix.  Delicious.  :)

Rhubarb pie with crumble topping is an absolute favorite. Also with half of it in strawberries which cuts the acid which some don't like.

[rbull]

........i have some chicken pellets to put with it.

Doesn't sound a very nice recipe to me.  Reminds me of 'do you put manure on your rhubarb, or is custard better?'

Home-made rhubarb icecream is one way to get kids to like it.  Otherwise, as an alternative to crumble, put a complete layer of marshmallows on top of stewed rhubarb in a pyrex dish, then put under the grill/

[Twirlie]

I make a crumble with half your normal crumble and half museli!  I also put two passion fruit and ginger in with the rhubarb! Brown sugar on top of the crumble!!!!  HMMMM!  I'm on weightwatchers at the moment so I'm only remembering the flavours!!!! boohooo!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I just make straight crumble without dubious additional ingredients. Mina (the little one) insisted when she first encountered it that 'I do not want that rhubarb inside my custard', but she soon changed her mind.