The first few tiny stalks seem to taste the best. Zapped in microwave with apple juice and serve with a nice plain yoghurt. Lovely.
That sounds really lovely :) but I have to refrain from picking mine, as I moved the roots to my new plot this winter *sulk*
Mine are just pushing through the mulch. That on my neighbour's plot isn't even doing that yet.
Just a little behind. 1st few stalks, Timperley Early on 24th Feb. Went really well with home made ice cream.
Have forcers on Timperley Early and Champagne. One of my favourites - have just put in 3 more varieties.
The cold spell seems to have slowed things down.
Envious. No forced or fresh rhubarb round here yet.
I bought 3 crowns for this new garden and veg plot last spring but kept them in pots cos of the drought. Happily, they have survived winter and we have had a year's worth of rain in 2 months so yesterday I planted them out with lots of lovely rotted horse manure. They each have a few tiny, crinkled leaves but look well so maybe next year I'll get some to eat.
Mine are also biding their time. I can see pink buds, but no stalks yet. :wave:
My Timperley Early and Champagne crowns send up lots of flowering stalks which seems to affect the quantity and quality of leaves they produce. I cut the flower stems off - is this the right thing to do? Should I get rid of them? My other plants (unknown, vigorous variety) which are in the same bed do not send up flower stems at all.
Cutting them off is the usual advice. And I usually do. But these flowers are so majestic and pretty that just occasionally I leave one. Leaving them is said to weaken the plant and stop further leaves. :wave:
Flowering stems can be a sign that your rhubarb needs lifting and splitting or maybe just a huge dollop of manure next autumn.
When mine did it a few years ago - previous garden - I cut off the flowering stems early and gave them to some florist friends. Got agreat crop of edble stems and then divided the roots in autumn.