[Beetroot queen]

As above really.

I am sure i remember people saying they stop at some point to give the crown energy for next year, mind you if mine gets much more growth on it we will rename the street to rhubarb road.  :blink: people dont believe its rhubarb because of the size

[ryetek]

Are you sure it's rhubarb BQ and not gunnera 
In answer to your question we stop picking ours around mid-July.

[hamstergbert]

ditto mid-late July, but then I generally pick a few sticks now and then to provide the oxalic sourness come crabble jilly (and elderberry jilly and all the other crabble based strained jams) season in autumn.  The crowns put up with it, or at any rate seem not be particularly adversely affected.

[Beetroot queen]

Are you sure it's rhubarb BQ and not gunnera 
In answer to your question we stop picking ours around mid-July.

It is rhubarb for sure, well we have eaten it  its tastes like rhubarb, cooks like rhubarb, got from a gc and sold as rhubarb so i guess it is. 

[ryetek]

It is rhubarb for sure, well we have eaten it 

Must be rhubarb then. I guess gunnera  would be pretty spikey 

[Beetroot queen]

It is rhubarb for sure, well we have eaten it 

Must be rhubarb then. I guess gunnera  would be pretty spikey 

Hehe i have given loads away too and no one has suffered from eating it, come to think of it........... When was the last time we saw the neighbours 

[simonwatson]

I don't stop picking it, but just take a stalk or two from multiple plants all year.

[Beetroot queen]

I will stop picking, not because i may kill the crown but because i maybe sick of rhubarb by the middle of july 

[ryetek]

Hehe i have given loads away too and no one has suffered from eating it, come to think of it........... When was the last time we saw the neighbours 

Remember, deny everything! 

[Beetroot queen]

Hehe i have given loads away too and no one has suffered from eating it, come to think of it........... When was the last time we saw the neighbours 

Remember, deny everything! 

:blink: :blink: :blink: :blink: not me guv.
I may have to google this other plant to check i am not trying to kill people off 

[3759allen]

i've only had my crown of rhubarb about 3 months, it's already started producing stalks. i've pulled 4 or 5 stalks to try and make a bit of room for the other stalks to grow big enough.

was this the right thing to do? do i keep pulling the stalks for another month, or just leave it alone as it's a new crown?

sorry to hi jack the thread.

[hamstergbert]

Best leave it if you can as more stalks = more leaves = more photosynthesis = more strength into crown.

The exception is if you see the beginnings of a flower stalk, ruthlessly heave that out as soon as you spot it.
The name of the game at this point in your crown's life is - build up it's strength

quote : "sorry to hi jack the thread"
threads meandering (slightly) away from topic?  On this forum?   surely not.......