UK gardening - harvesting rhubarb

Author

harvesting rhubarb

misterroy

2006-05-28, 3:21 pm

Hi, I've just harvested some rhubarb, the patch was planted in the
1920's so the plants are established. The guides I have seen on the
Internet say to leave at least four stems. The plants all have around 8
stems left. I only took the thicker stems, about an inch thick, the
others are about half an inch thick and about 14-16 inches long.
I have two questions:

1. How long will it take the thin ones to thicken?

2. Will there be more new stems?

cheers Roy

Janet Baraclough

2006-05-28, 5:21 pm

The message <1148838073.990140.43450@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>
from "misterroy" <rgdavidson@gmail.com> contains these words:

> Hi, I've just harvested some rhubarb, the patch was planted in the
> 1920's so the plants are established.

Hm, yes :-)

The guides I have seen on the
> Internet say to leave at least four stems. The plants all have around 8
> stems left. I only took the thicker stems, about an inch thick, the
> others are about half an inch thick and about 14-16 inches long.
> I have two questions:

> 1. How long will it take the thin ones to thicken?

> 2. Will there be more new stems?

That is a very poor rate of production, and from the age of the plant
and the symptoms I'd say it, and the soil it grows in, are utterly
exhausted. My small root planted 3 years ago has perhaps 40 stems left
and we've been picking it for weeks.. However, you know that you have a
strong, indestructible strain so don't give up on it. Next autumn,
saw/chop off some outer sections of root-and-bud to replant in a new
area. Prepare the new area now by digging out a hole at least the size
of a laundry basket, but preferably the size of a dustbin. Over summer,
fill the hole with home made compost, weeds, old bones, woolly sweaters,
manure, old turf, newspaper, and finally some (clean, from another ara
of the garden) soil into which you plant the offset from your od plant.

A couple of years later, you'll have more rhubarb than you and your
neighbours can eat.

Janet.

--
Isle of Arran Open Gardens weekend 21,22,23 July 2006
5 UKP three-day adult ticket (funds go to island charities) buys entry
to 26 private gardens

Allen Caius

2006-05-29, 7:21 am

The message <3130303039303239447A02C613@zetnet.co.uk>
from Janet Baraclough <janet.and.john@zetnet.co.uk> contains these words:

> That is a very poor rate of production, and from the age of the plant
> and the symptoms I'd say it, and the soil it grows in, are utterly
> exhausted.
\snip\

I bought a new 'Champagne' crown from the Mammoth Onion people in
Lancashire last year. I am fortunate in that a nearby farmer beds his
cattle on peat waste from a local commercial cutting. He is happy to
give me as much of this bedding (poo and peat mixed). I prepared a bed
for the crown using loads of this yummy mixture and plenty of home-made
compost. The result is that I have been able to take a few stems off
the plant in its first year of production. There's no doubt in my mind
that rhubarb is a heavy feeder and can rapidly exhaust an unfed soil,
leading to reduced production and finally death of the crown.

--
Cheers,

Allen

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