*
For the first time in 30 years of trying, i seem to have found a critter
safe spot to grow rhubarb.
Now* -** i need to know the rules.
Does it just want to grow and become established the first year ?
Should some stalks be cut ?
The plants have been in the ground for three weeks and are over a foot
high with three or
four stalks each.*** (they shipped as bare root, dead looking clumps)

Thanks for any good advice on helping them thrive.

Dorothy

In article ,
says...
For the first time in 30 years of trying, i seem to have found a critter
safe spot to grow rhubarb.
Now* -** i need to know the rules.
Does it just want to grow and become established the first year ?
Should some stalks be cut ?

I wouldn't cut any the first year. If you get long stout stalks
with very large leaves, it might be OK, but I'd let it alone
till next year. Do cut off any flower stalks that form, if any
do.

--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?

Larry Blanchard wrote:

In article ,
says...
For the first time in 30 years of trying, i seem to have found a critter
safe spot to grow rhubarb.
Now* -** i need to know the rules.
Does it just want to grow and become established the first year ?
Should some stalks be cut ?

I wouldn't cut any the first year.* If you get long stout stalks
with very large leaves, it might be OK, but I'd let it alone
till next year.* Do cut off any flower stalks that form, if any
do.

Thanks so much.
D
*

*

--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?

*
*

In article ,
Blues Ma wrote:

?
For the first time in 30 years of trying, i seem to have found a critter
safe spot to grow rhubarb.
Now? -?? i need to know the rules.
Does it just want to grow and become established the first year ?
Should some stalks be cut ?
The plants have been in the ground for three weeks and are over a foot
high with three or
four stalks each.??? (they shipped as bare root, dead looking clumps)

Thanks for any good advice on helping them thrive.

Dorothy


Critters don't eat rhubarb. We have a commercial crop of it (well, it
seems like it -- 60 hills or so) that aren't fenced. Our cattle, horses,
moose, coyotes and wolves don't eat it. What critters are you worried
about?

The secret to happy rhubarb is to dump lots of manure or compost on
it every fall. Probably every spring, too. But it grows so well up here
in Alaska that we ignore it, hoping that it'll die back some, and it
doesn't.

You aren't supposed to pull any stems for the first year. Ha. Unless your
rhubarb is having trouble, I'd pull a few. Do you need recipes? I found
one for a rhubarb sauce on arugula salad the other day that sounds pretty
good.

Jan, 59o N. Latitude

In article , Jan Flora wrote:
The secret to happy rhubarb is to dump lots of manure or compost on
it every fall. Probably every spring, too. But it grows so well up here
in Alaska that we ignore it, hoping that it'll die back some, and it
doesn't.

Haha, same as ours was in Montana... plant it, abuse it, harvest it

Anyone know of a good variety that will do okay in desert heat? Given
a choice, I like the thick red kind best (no idea of names).

~REZ~

Jan Flora wrote:

In article ,
*Blues Ma wrote:

?
For the first time in 30 years of trying, i seem to have found a critter
safe spot to grow rhubarb.
Now? -?? i need to know the rules.
Does it just want to grow and become established the first year ?
Should some stalks be cut ?
The plants have been in the ground for three weeks and are over a foot
high with three or
four stalks each.??? (they shipped as bare root, dead looking clumps)

Thanks for any good advice on helping them thrive.

Dorothy


Critters don't eat rhubarb. We have a commercial crop of it (well, it
seems like it -- 60 hills or so) that aren't fenced. Our cattle, horses,
moose, coyotes and wolves don't eat it. What critters are you worried
about?

Groundhogs* -* woodchucks to us* -* eat it right down until you can see
their teeth marks in the soil.*** Chipmunks munch on it to if they have
a chance before the big guys find it.

The secret to happy rhubarb is to dump lots of manure or compost on
it every fall. Probably every spring, too. But it grows so well up here
in Alaska that we ignore it, hoping that it'll die back some, and it
doesn't.

Hope to see the day i have just six thriving clumps.

You aren't supposed to pull any stems for the first year. Ha. Unless your
rhubarb is having trouble, I'd pull a few. Do you need recipes? I found
one for a rhubarb sauce on arugula salad the other day that sounds pretty
good.

That would be great.
Thanks Jan

*

** Jan, 59o N. Latitude

*
*

In article et,
(Rez) wrote:

In article , Jan
Flora wrote:
The secret to happy rhubarb is to dump lots of manure or compost on
it every fall. Probably every spring, too. But it grows so well up here
in Alaska that we ignore it, hoping that it'll die back some, and it
doesn't.

Haha, same as ours was in Montana... plant it, abuse it, harvest it

Anyone know of a good variety that will do okay in desert heat? Given
a choice, I like the thick red kind best (no idea of names).

~REZ~


Here's a good rhubarb article:

http://www.plantea.com/rhubarb.htm

If your desert gets good and cold in the winter (high desert), you could
probably grow rhubarb. It seems to favor having a "real" winter.

Jan

Steve wrote:

I was reading the web site about Rhubarb this evening. This one:
http://www.plantea.com/rhubarb.htm**** the one someone posted just
hours ago. I lost track of which thread it was under so I'm starting
a new one.

Question:* What do some of you think is the best Rhubarb variety? I
like the looks of the ones with solid red stalks. Are they as edible
as the older, more green, varieties? If the very red ones are tender
for eating (cooking) which is your favorite one?

Steve in the Adirondacks ... where it's still early enough to
consider planting rhubarb this spring.

Valentine and Canada Red are both hardy and tasty.
*
*

Blues Ma wrote:
.....................
Valentine and Canada Red are both hardy and tasty.


Thank you. :-)

In article , Jan Flora wrote:
In article et,
(Rez) wrote:
Anyone know of a good variety that will do okay in desert heat? Given
a choice, I like the thick red kind best (no idea of names).
Here's a good rhubarb article:
http://www.plantea.com/rhubarb.htm

Cool, thanks.

If your desert gets good and cold in the winter (high desert), you could
probably grow rhubarb. It seems to favor having a "real" winter.

We routinely get hard freezes, with a couple months of 20-25F every
night and up to 50-60F days, but it can reach -10F here, and
sometimes there'll be several weeks where it doesn't break freezing.
There are apple and cherry orchards just a few miles west of me (temps
about the same, but they have better soil with more constant
moisture), so we must get enough cold for them.

On the far end, summer tops out at 117F.

In Montana, rhubarb always seemed to like the east side of the house
best, where it got only morning sun. So I expect I'd want to give it
partial shade here, so it doesn't get, um, pre-cooked.

~REZ~

In article
. net,
says...
In Montana, rhubarb always seemed to like the east side of the house
best, where it got only morning sun. So I expect I'd want to give it
partial shade here, so it doesn't get, um, pre-cooked.

I rented a house once in Illinois that had a row of rhubarb
planted underneath a row of Concord grapes on a wire fence type
support (four cane Kniffen pruning). Worked great. The rhubarb
got lots of sun in spring, and was shaded in summer. It lasted
at least a month or two longer than usual.

--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?

In article , Larry Blanchard wrote:
In article
.net,
says...
In Montana, rhubarb always seemed to like the east side of the house
best, where it got only morning sun. So I expect I'd want to give it
partial shade here, so it doesn't get, um, pre-cooked.

I rented a house once in Illinois that had a row of rhubarb
planted underneath a row of Concord grapes on a wire fence type
support (four cane Kniffen pruning). Worked great. The rhubarb
got lots of sun in spring, and was shaded in summer. It lasted
at least a month or two longer than usual.

After posting that I went off and read more and seems the plant
originated in Siberia, so no wonder it likes cold and shade!

Anyway, I have just the spot for it, but I'll have to move the tall
gladioli first (put them there to keep them out of the wind). Which
means it won't happen this year as the glads are not even to the
blooming stage yet.

~REZ~