Rhubarb

[Emagggie]

Cor! You learn something every day  :o. Thanks for the link aussiedigger  :)

[Emagggie]

[hopalong]

This has been a helpful thread.

I thought I'd try leaving some of mine on the soil surface to let the frost get at it, so I did that in November. It started sprouting a week ago, while still lying on the surface, so I've now planted it in a pocket of garden compost and put another layer of compost on top. It's tough stuff.

[Emagggie]

Been to inspect mine thismorning, two crowns are sprouting so I've tucked them up nice and cosy. ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine's coming up. Last time I lifted the roots, several years ago, it was as much as I could do to lift them, so I'm not inclined to repeat the experiment unless they start losing vigour.

[littlebabybird]

ok
i'm confused (not hard i know)
if you can lift it to frost it every year why do i have to not crop from mine having moved it?
lbb

[Eristic]

you lift the rhubarb crowns to force. They are then cropped to destruction and discarded not replanted. Young plants are brought on each year to replace.

Most people just leave it growing in the ground and maybe cover it with a bucket or similar object. This will give nice pink shoots but not as early or prolific as in the forcing sheds. What normally happens then is that after the initial few meals someone runs out of custard then the rhubarb gets forgotten so it recovers.

[littlebabybird]

ok, thank you.
lbb

[tonybloke]

What normally happens then is that after the initial few meals someone runs out of custard then the rhubarb gets forgotten so it recovers.

;D ;D ;D ;D

[antipodes]

Yes I have little pink crwons forming, my "mother" plant now has 4 crowns it seems! She will be a whopper this year. I put a nice pile of manure around both of mine, in a circle around it, hopefully that will give it a good start. I don't know the variety but mine makes delicious rhubarb but with quite thin stalks. Perhaps I need to water it more this year  ???

[Multiveg]

Yep, one of the young plants that were sown last year has its first little teeny weeny stem of 2009 with leaf coming up. Last week just the pink crown was showing and looked a bit, erm, rude!  :-[

[cambourne7]

well i plan next week on having a wander up to the allotment so i can work out what needs to be packed and move with me. I have leaf mould to put on the rhubard at the same time and if one is showing i will cover it to try and force it :)

[saddad]

Can you find it under the snow Cam?  ???