Thirty years ago I bought seed from T&M~~ Champagne
perpetual~IMMSMC! I grew a row of thirty crowns which varied tremendously
but were ideal for my needs. They have now all been discarded {a fresh
garden has been made} but in all those thirty years not one ever produced a
flower. I have no explanation. With unlimited fym and seaweed, overfeeding
is a possible explanation but highly unlikely.
Non flowering cannot have been part of their heritage!! So
what~~~~~~???
Best Wishes Brian.

"Brian" --- 'flayb' to respond wrote in message
...
: Thirty years ago I bought seed from T&M~~ Champagne
: perpetual~IMMSMC! I grew a row of thirty crowns which varied tremendously
: but were ideal for my needs. They have now all been discarded {a fresh
: garden has been made} but in all those thirty years not one ever produced
a
: flower. I have no explanation. With unlimited fym and seaweed,
overfeeding
: is a possible explanation but highly unlikely.
: Non flowering cannot have been part of their heritage!! So
: what~~~~~~???
: Best Wishes Brian.
:
Why did you want them to flower, to propagate them? My rhubarb never flower
either, I always assumed the ones in poor conditions flowered to try and
'save' themselves

In article ,
Brian --- 'flayb' to respond wrote:
Thirty years ago I bought seed from T&M~~ Champagne
perpetual~IMMSMC! I grew a row of thirty crowns which varied tremendously
but were ideal for my needs. They have now all been discarded {a fresh
garden has been made} but in all those thirty years not one ever produced a
flower. I have no explanation. With unlimited fym and seaweed, overfeeding
is a possible explanation but highly unlikely.
Non flowering cannot have been part of their heritage!! So
what~~~~~~???

There are many plants that never flower in the UK, because it is
quite common for flowering to be triggered by different conditions
than are needed for growth. Almost all of our food crops originate
from places further south (as most places further north are
subarctic), and so miss the sun, heat, drought or suffer from the
winter conditions.

In fact, it is quite common for plants to flower (and fruit) near
Cambridge where they don't on the south coast, because we get a
slightly more continental climate. Danae racemosa is one - Bean
says that it rarely fruits, but it does so reliably with me, and
even self-seeds (though the seedlings have never established yet).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Following up to "Brian" --- 'flayb' to respond :

Thirty years ago I bought seed from T&M~~ Champagne
perpetual~IMMSMC! I grew a row of thirty crowns which varied tremendously
but were ideal for my needs. They have now all been discarded {a fresh
garden has been made} but in all those thirty years not one ever produced a
flower. I have no explanation. With unlimited fym and seaweed, overfeeding
is a possible explanation but highly unlikely.
Non flowering cannot have been part of their heritage!! So
what~~~~~~???
Best Wishes Brian.


Where I live in northern Austria, my rhubarb has flowered reliably and
regularly throughout the season for the last 3 years out of the 4 that
it's been in the ground. Maybe it's the climate and/or variety combination.
I cut the flowering stalks off as soon as I see them.
--
Tim C.

The message
from Tim C. contains these words:

Following up to "Brian" --- 'flayb' to respond :

Thirty years ago I bought seed from T&M~~ Champagne
perpetual~IMMSMC! I grew a row of thirty crowns which varied tremendously
but were ideal for my needs. They have now all been discarded {a fresh
garden has been made} but in all those thirty years not one ever produced a
flower. I have no explanation. With unlimited fym and seaweed,
overfeeding
is a possible explanation but highly unlikely.
Non flowering cannot have been part of their heritage!! So
what~~~~~~???
Best Wishes Brian.


Where I live in northern Austria, my rhubarb has flowered reliably and
regularly throughout the season for the last 3 years out of the 4 that
it's been in the ground. Maybe it's the climate and/or variety combination.
I cut the flowering stalks off as soon as I see them.

Some plants require a winter chill or spell of darkness to trigger
flowering. So they may flower well in the dark north but very rarely in
the warmer lighter south.

Janet

Janet

"Robert" wrote after..
"Brian" said...
: Thirty years ago I bought seed from T&M~~ Champagne
: perpetual~IMMSMC! I grew a row of thirty crowns which varied
tremendously
: but were ideal for my needs. They have now all been discarded {a fresh
: garden has been made} but in all those thirty years not one ever
produced
a
: flower. I have no explanation. With unlimited fym and seaweed,
overfeeding
: is a possible explanation but highly unlikely.
: Non flowering cannot have been part of their heritage!! So
: what~~~~~~???
:
Why did you want them to flower, to propagate them? My rhubarb never
flower
either, I always assumed the ones in poor conditions flowered to try and
'save' themselves

Don't think so. I dug up and replanted my old Rhubarb into well manured
ground and the next year every one flowered.
Most have done so in every subsequent year.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from Tim C. contains these words:

Following up to "Brian" --- 'flayb' to respond :

Thirty years ago I bought seed from T&M~~ Champagne
perpetual~IMMSMC! I grew a row of thirty crowns which varied
tremendously
but were ideal for my needs. They have now all been discarded {a
fresh
garden has been made} but in all those thirty years not one ever
produced a
flower. I have no explanation. With unlimited fym and seaweed,
overfeeding
is a possible explanation but highly unlikely.
Non flowering cannot have been part of their heritage!! So
what~~~~~~???
Best Wishes Brian.


Where I live in northern Austria, my rhubarb has flowered reliably and
regularly throughout the season for the last 3 years out of the 4 that
it's been in the ground. Maybe it's the climate and/or variety
combination.
I cut the flowering stalks off as soon as I see them.

Some plants require a winter chill or spell of darkness to trigger
flowering. So they may flower well in the dark north but very rarely in
the warmer lighter south.

Janet
~~~~~~~~
I've been grateful that they never did flower~~ I was just curious as
all local rhubarb does bloom well. None of these others was grown from
seed~~ seems to be the only difference.
Best Wishes Brian.

The message
from "Brian" --- 'flayb' to respond contains these words:

Non flowering cannot have been part of their heritage!! So
what~~~~~~???

I was part of the heritage.

Rhubarb seeds from reputable companies are from cultivars which seldom
flower. I'm not sure how you get them to do so when required, but I'd
think that stressing them by underfeeding them or growing them in dry
conditions might do the trick.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

The message
from Tim C. contains these words:

Where I live in northern Austria, my rhubarb has flowered reliably and
regularly throughout the season for the last 3 years out of the 4 that
it's been in the ground. Maybe it's the climate and/or variety combination.
I cut the flowering stalks off as soon as I see them.

I'd feed them well, and keep them in almost marsh conditions, and then
you shouldn't see flower stalks at all, even in austria, I'd have
thought.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:

Don't think so. I dug up and replanted my old Rhubarb into well manured
ground and the next year every one flowered.
Most have done so in every subsequent year.


Too dry perhaps? Or a poor variety.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Following up to Rusty Hinge 2 :

The message
from Tim C. contains these words:

Where I live in northern Austria, my rhubarb has flowered reliably and
regularly throughout the season for the last 3 years out of the 4 that
it's been in the ground. Maybe it's the climate and/or variety combination.
I cut the flowering stalks off as soon as I see them.

I'd feed them well, and keep them in almost marsh conditions, and then
you shouldn't see flower stalks at all, even in austria, I'd have
thought.

I try, but it's a bit tricky in the Summer sometimes. I'll try harder this
year. I admit I hardly ever watered it, so it could be improved on.
I was wondering if it was just the variety (I've no idea what it is) or if
it was the conditions it's in. At the moment it's under a big clay
flowerpot which is under 2 feet of rock hard snow at -17C.
--
Tim C.

The message
from Tim C. contains these words:

I try, but it's a bit tricky in the Summer sometimes. I'll try harder this
year. I admit I hardly ever watered it, so it could be improved on.
I was wondering if it was just the variety (I've no idea what it is) or if
it was the conditions it's in. At the moment it's under a big clay
flowerpot which is under 2 feet of rock hard snow at -17C.

Likely to be conditions. Modern varieties of rhubarb have been
selectively bred to flower infrequently.

Could be the cold winters, but I'd guess it's lack of water. Rhubarb's
natural habitat is damp places.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Following up to Rusty Hinge 2 :

The message
from Tim C. contains these words:

I try, but it's a bit tricky in the Summer sometimes. I'll try harder this
year. I admit I hardly ever watered it, so it could be improved on.
I was wondering if it was just the variety (I've no idea what it is) or if
it was the conditions it's in. At the moment it's under a big clay
flowerpot which is under 2 feet of rock hard snow at -17C.

Likely to be conditions. Modern varieties of rhubarb have been
selectively bred to flower infrequently.

Could be the cold winters, but I'd guess it's lack of water. Rhubarb's
natural habitat is damp places.

I didn't know that. I've been looking for an excuse to run a fixed hose
line to the veggie patch... :-)
--
Tim C.