All my rhubarb has gone to seed and both my neighbours have the same problem... the plants are 2 years old on my plot. Will this stop me having rhubard this year and what can I do to prevent it? ??? 8) ???
so has ours! and everyone elses at our lottie,ive been told to pull the flower heads off?
Mine too! Apparently we have to twist them off or they weaken the root and result in thin stems of rhubarb :(
Mine too!
Don't panic! Just pull off/twist off the flower heads as they (keep) coming up and you'll still get a good crop.
I'm pulling them off at a rate of knots, I have to every year. It's perfectly normal for the plant to want to flower, but if you let it, it puts its energy into producing seed not stalks.
Mine have not flowered before but several have done so this year. I've simply pulled the flower spikes off as soon as I've seen them forming.
everyone at our lottie site is saying the rhubarb is flowering, mine included,but is it just me or is it incredibly early for it to be flowering :-\
isn't it usually in the summer? /shades x
mine too! my neighbour said snip them off, they smelt lovely!
Quote from: reddyreddy on April 14, 2009, 17:41:05
mine too! my neighbour said snip them off, they smelt lovely!
i love the smell of them but no one else seems to like it
lbb
I snapped the flowering stem off mine today. First time I have ever seen rhubarb go to seed. It was only on one of the crowns..... so far anyway ::) ::)
Did mine as I sat by the pew with the beer.... non on Thursday last week, go away for a short weekend and there were eight flower stems... :-X
I'll cut the buggers off then!!! Never seen it before. I tried pulling one but most of the plant came up with it.... :'(
mine went to seed last yr and look set to do the same again this yr too, have noticed a lot of other people rhubarbs doing the same, was just told the break the flower stalks off n not 2 worry, phew! was looking forward 2 rhubarb crumble :)
is this going to seed thing fairly common or not why i ask is because so many people seem to be quite surprise by it happening and also surprise by the amount of plots on their sites its happening to. i wonder is it because of the last winter temps have told the plants to try and reproduce, just wondering out loud ???
For the last few years, I've only seen an odd crown flowering on my site. This year, most seem to be flowering (except mine, so far!). Thing that surprises me is that we've had the kind of winter that is supposed to be good for rhubarb. Maybe the plants don't try to reproduce until they've had the 'ideal' chill period? Reading one of the garden mags this week talking about the effect of climate change on various things we grow and rhubarb will be one of the crops at risk in the south of the country because of the absence of a chill period.
mine have started to flower up aswell. gonna leave one flower on and see if i can get seeds from it. as ive grown my rhubarb from seed.
no worries as ive got more rhubarb up the other end of my plot , so i will have my rhubard crumble anyways :P
Quote from: ceres on April 16, 2009, 00:26:56
For the last few years, I've only seen an odd crown flowering on my site. This year, most seem to be flowering (except mine, so far!). Thing that surprises me is that we've had the kind of winter that is supposed to be good for rhubarb. Maybe the plants don't try to reproduce until they've had the 'ideal' chill period? Reading one of the garden mags this week talking about the effect of climate change on various things we grow and rhubarb will be one of the crops at risk in the south of the country because of the absence of a chill period.
that would be a very explainable reason why there are no old crowns scattered around my looty on unused plots. thank you
Mine always flowers like mad, but it's old clumps, and apart from the two that drowned, they're really strong.
There's a lot of rhubarb flowering all over our site. This is definitely unusual.
Quote from: hopalong on April 16, 2009, 13:53:58
There's a lot of rhubarb flowering all over our site. This is definitely unusual.
I have removed 7 seed heads from three plants over the past week.This is nothing unusual for me.The plants are mature and have been there for at least 4 years.I removed a similar amount last year too.
It's definitely unusual for me (I grow lots of rhubarb) and others on our site, but it's not a problem as long as we keep removing the flower heads.
Incidentally, I saw a few sticks of rhubarb on sale in Waitrose today for £2.99. Well worth growing if you want to save - or perhaps make - money.
Yes I saw rhubarb on sale at tescos for a few pence less today.
To think I give the stuff away.I could make a small fortune!
I was given a clump in year 2, planted it then decided the next year it was in the wrong place, then got another plot (my fruit plot) then moved it over to there last year.
I've got a hunch mine is panicking!
Linda
It'll settle down Linda, takes a lot to fluster rhubarb... :)
I cut mine off including the stalks
took it all down to the soil
and will remove any flower heads that appear from now on
at least any new stalks will have the full throttle of energy
We hope hahaha
Welcome to the site Welshbirds... :)
Thanks
Im a newbie in gardening
But have built a nice wheelchair friendly one
well wife and stepson did
I came here because I saw the rhubarb going to seed forum
hiya, welshbirds, nice to meet you ;D
our champagne rhubarb is nearly ready to pick, yipeeee ;D
I've not had rhubarb flower until this year, nor have a heard anyone mention it happening to them, until this year. It seems strange that people from a wide area of the country are all reporting the same thing??? What's prompted this i wonder, as for the weather being to blame, i don't buy it!! We've had plenty of cold weather and plenty of rain, so if it was lack of water then this would have happened when we had the really warm march and April a few year back.
Mine seeds religiously, every year, well it would if I let it.... :-\
Quote from: saddad on April 16, 2009, 20:31:09
takes a lot to fluster rhubarb... :)
That's the sort of quote I'll remember forever ;D ;D ;D
" It's the way I tell 'em".... ;)
....................a new term - how to fluster a rhubarb ;D
proper weird mine have for first time this year .. maybe its too dry or maybe its a conspiracy ... lol ... ;D
How strange, my rhubarb has also got a hugh flower coming through and I have never seen this before.
How strange, I have just found a huge flower head on my rhubarb also and this has never happened before.
SORRY TO RUB IT IN BUT IVE JUST HARVESTED A NICE BUNCH OFF RHUBARD.I AM IN NORTHAMPTON AND HAVNT SEEN ANY FLOWERS ON OUR ALLOTTMENT SITES,IN FACT WE HAVE GOT SOME HUGE RHUBARD BUSHES THIS YEAR . OUR STRAWBERRIES HAVE FLOWERS ON ALREADY TO,ISNT THIS TOO EARLY?
Quote from: jillian on April 17, 2009, 13:38:26
OUR STRAWBERRIES HAVE FLOWERS ON ALREADY TO,ISNT THIS TOO EARLY?
mine are covered as well certainly the earliest i have had flowers in the 5+ years i've been here, but i'm not complaining :).
My rhubarb sprouts flower heads constantly during the whole growing season every year so far (OK I've only had the plot 3 years...but it has done it every year and weather conditions don't seem to matter). I've just been twisting them off as they pop up and have got a huge crop of rhubarb each time.
It's probably quite an old plant judging from the size of it - perhaps they do it more the older they get, sort of a rhubarb biological clock type thing??
oh! rubarb rubarb rubarb mine too, but i like the flower it's like pink cauliflower lol ;D
Welcome to A4A Jillian, :)
I suspect you're right as my old clumps do the same.
Prompted by this thread I've just been out and inspected mine (in S.B'ham)....3 crowns, different varieties...no unexpected bouquets in the veggie plot, but I'm on Red Alert now ;D
I'm just ploughing my way through all that saved rhubarb from last year when production went into overdrive - far greater than in previious years; it just didn't stop growing! ::).....should I pull and use/freeze it should it come into flower?
Is Red Alert like Red Bull Lish?
My stalks on the flowered (now removed) one are very spindly and only fit for the compost.
Linda
We are flowering in Portsmouth too!! Rhubarb that is.
Also tons of flowers on the strawberry plants.
Ive been looking into this and it seems the older the crown the more it will go to seed.
The idea is to divide the crowns every couple of years or so.
I snapped the flowers off mine, but there are still tons coming. :( the plants seem really week this year.