The message
from Rusty Hinge contains these words:

RogerT wrote:
I have a several clumps of rhubarb in the garden. One particular variety
always seems to produce flowers on nearly every shoot and is also very
difficult to pick in the normal manner, pulling the whole shoot and
central bud up if I'm not careful. A second clump of the same variety
(taken from the first) is similar, but does not seem to produce so many
flowering shoots. Other varietys seem to be much more normal.

Is there anything I can do to discourage the flowering shoots and get
more Rhubarb stalks? Not too worried about the fragile nature as I now
tend to cut the stalks rather than pull them.

Sorry, but I can not identify the varieties as they were inherited or
moved with me many years ago.

Basically, no.

Some clones - especially those grown from seed - tend to produce
flowering stalks more than others.

Unless they are of particularly fine quality I'd have them out in the
autumn and force the crowns in the early spring, then chuck them out.

Pare off new crowns from the outside of your good crowns and plant
those, or buy, eg or otherwise acquire some new stock.

Leesten carfully - I shall say zis only wurnce -

The classic preparation is as follows: For each new crown dig a hole two
feet by two feet, and four feet deep.

In the bottom of the hole cast old woollens, small bones (chicken,
rabbit, lamb, etc) and any leather you can get hold of. (I buy bags of
them after jumble sales)

Refill the hole with the spoil mixed with bonemaea, well-rotted manure
and compost.

There will be a onsiderable mound - plant the crown on it and keep very
well watered - remember, rhubarb is a marsh plant.

That treatment will reward you with *HUGE* sticks. One of mine grown
following these destructions weighed over a pound.

(The old man had dug up the weedy rhubarb in order to replant with new
crowns. I took just the outside growth, dug a four foot deep trench
round a bed and followed the method told me by an ancient gardener.

It is essential not to pull any stalks during the first year!

The Old man was astonished by the topical rainforest produced by his
weedy old crowns.

I was afraid to go in amongst them because I swear I heard the sound of
nesting elephants.


Merci for ze list Rusty, I tink vat ther ist 1 item missing. SWMBO!

vbg