Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: mike0001 on May 12, 2013, 20:30
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got some decent size rhubarb now but can someone clarify how you tell its ready ?
is it when shoots are dark red ?
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When it's big enough to eat. I don't wait for colour ???
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Not all rhubarb is red - as BQ says, pull it when the stalks are long enough.
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I felt compelled to pull some today actually, because some of the leaves looked like something out of Jurassic Park. Made a luverly crumble.
I've only just realised how much difference there is between different rhubarb varieties. For a few years I'd been living with a rhubarb that always had thin spindly sticks and threw off a lot of flowers, thinking it was the fault of the bed it was in/soil/shade/etc. Not sure what variety it is but it was a small pot grown from a local garden centre, one of the old traditional varieties, maybe Victoria. Then last year I planted a different variety, also small pot grown and from the same place, but this one's a Timperley Early. It's right next to the old rhubarb, in the same bed, but there's a huge difference. Despite only having been in the ground less than a year, it stormed away as soon as the weather started to change and has already thrown off some very big sticks with not a sign of flowers, whereas the old plant is still throwing off thin spindly sticks and has already put up three flowering stalks. Think it's going to have to go. I've now stuck in a couple of little Raspberry Red and Champagne crowns as well, to see what they're like.
I've scattered them all in a bed that's about 12 X 6 ft, completely self-contained so they can't spread out of it. It's my ambition to grow enough rhubarb for puddings, jams and wine :)
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thanks everyone looks like the are ready to pull then... not sure on age but going by size and amount of sticks it must be an old one.....
Will pull later on today :)
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Sure i'd heard/read somewhere about pulling when the leaves are fully opened, how do you know when they're fully opened, some leaves grow mahoosive!! :)
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they're all crinkly when they're still opening :)
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I think, when the leaves are fully open it's not going to get any bigger anyway. I've been pulling it for a few weeks now.
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well there pulled today, crinkly leaves or not... in the pot tonight for a crumble
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well there pulled today, crinkly leaves or not... in the pot tonight for a crumble
Lovely don't waste it on jam like I did last night ::). Rhubarb syrup or toffee, each batch was unique :unsure: