"misterroy" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi, i've tried many of the online stores, and none have them,
(unwins
say they have, but there is none in stock), anyone here willing to
sell
me some?

I'd never heard of "champagne" rhubarb before so did a google for
this wonderous new variety that obviously isn't available in my
country.

I found this site:
http://www.practicallyedible.com/edi...a!openframeset
&frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/ed.1407!opendocument
which suggests that it's merely blanched rhubarb.

Is this right?

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"misterroy" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi, i've tried many of the online stores, and none have them,
(unwins
say they have, but there is none in stock), anyone here willing to
sell
me some?

I'd never heard of "champagne" rhubarb before so did a google for
this wonderous new variety that obviously isn't available in my
country.

I found this site:

http://www.practicallyedible.com/edi...a!openframeset
&frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/ed.1407!opendocument
which suggests that it's merely blanched rhubarb.

Is this right?

Found another site suggesting hte same thing:
http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/w...andvegetables/
0502082.asp

Farm1 wrote:
I'd never heard of "champagne" rhubarb before so did a google for
this wonderous new variety that obviously isn't available in my
country.

I found this site:
http://www.practicallyedible.com/edi...a!openframeset
&frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/ed.1407!opendocument
which suggests that it's merely blanched rhubarb.

Is this right?

Umm. I thought that blanching rhubarb was the norm. All those buckets
without bottoms, tall chimmney pot things, long unlit sheds in the
Rhubarb triangle - aren't they all about blanching?

I know that the less than organised among us have a crown or two and
don't bother with blanching - my sister and I for a start - but It had
never occured to me that commercially sold rhubarb /wasn't/ blanched.

In which case, why call it "champagne"[1]? Why qualify the name at
all?

All marketing people deserve to be coated in boiling hot greengage jam
and hung over a beehive.


[1] does this mean you can make wine fizzy by upending a bottomless
bucket over it?

Hi all, it is a variety of rhubarb, here's a guy selling on ebay
http://url55.com/34
unwins direct were offering seeds, but no stock left. there are various
sites offering roots, I have some in the garden, its the seeds I'm
after though.

The variety came recommended by a friend, and by the RHS

thanks

wrote:

Farm1 wrote:
I'd never heard of "champagne" rhubarb before so did a google for
this wonderous new variety that obviously isn't available in my
country.

I found this site:
http://www.practicallyedible.com/edi...a!openframeset
&frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/ed.1407!opendocument
which suggests that it's merely blanched rhubarb.

Is this right?

Umm. I thought that blanching rhubarb was the norm. All those buckets
without bottoms, tall chimmney pot things, long unlit sheds in the
Rhubarb triangle - aren't they all about blanching?

I know that the less than organised among us have a crown or two and
don't bother with blanching - my sister and I for a start - but It had
never occured to me that commercially sold rhubarb /wasn't/ blanched.

In which case, why call it "champagne"[1]? Why qualify the name at
all?

All marketing people deserve to be coated in boiling hot greengage jam
and hung over a beehive.


[1] does this mean you can make wine fizzy by upending a bottomless
bucket over it?

"misterroy" wrote in message

Hi all, it is a variety of rhubarb, here's a guy selling on ebay
http://url55.com/34
unwins direct were offering seeds, but no stock left. there are
various
sites offering roots, I have some in the garden, its the seeds I'm
after though.

Now I'm curious. If you already have some crowns of this variety
(which doesn't look any differnent to any other rhubarb I've ever
seen), why do you want seeds? Wouldn't it be much easier to just
break up the current crowns and replant?

wrote in message
Farm1 wrote:
I'd never heard of "champagne" rhubarb before so did a google for
this wonderous new variety that obviously isn't available in my
country.

I found this site:

http://www.practicallyedible.com/edi...a!openframeset
&frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/ed.1407!opendocument
which suggests that it's merely blanched rhubarb.

Is this right?

Umm. I thought that blanching rhubarb was the norm.

Not where I live (Australia). I've not ever known anyone who blanches
rhubarb. I've read about it and seen pics in British mags of it and
thought I must give it a go at some time but since I so adore good red
rhubarb, I've not ever bothered to try it.

All those buckets
without bottoms, tall chimmney pot things, long unlit sheds in the
Rhubarb triangle - aren't they all about blanching?

I know that the less than organised among us have a crown or two and
don't bother with blanching - my sister and I for a start - but It
had
never occured to me that commercially sold rhubarb /wasn't/
blanched.

The only rhubarb for sale I've ever seen is the good red stems, but
usually floppy and not worth
buying :-))

In which case, why call it "champagne"[1]? Why qualify the name at
all?

All marketing people deserve to be coated in boiling hot greengage
jam
and hung over a beehive.

Now that's a nice idea :-)))

growing for a market stall, seeds are cheaper than roots, I am prepared
to wait for the seeds to grow.
Farm1 wrote:

wrote in message
Farm1 wrote:
I'd never heard of "champagne" rhubarb before so did a google for
this wonderous new variety that obviously isn't available in my
country.

I found this site:

http://www.practicallyedible.com/edi...a!openframeset
&frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/ed.1407!opendocument
which suggests that it's merely blanched rhubarb.

Is this right?

Umm. I thought that blanching rhubarb was the norm.

Not where I live (Australia). I've not ever known anyone who blanches
rhubarb. I've read about it and seen pics in British mags of it and
thought I must give it a go at some time but since I so adore good red
rhubarb, I've not ever bothered to try it.

All those buckets
without bottoms, tall chimmney pot things, long unlit sheds in the
Rhubarb triangle - aren't they all about blanching?

I know that the less than organised among us have a crown or two and
don't bother with blanching - my sister and I for a start - but It
had
never occured to me that commercially sold rhubarb /wasn't/
blanched.

The only rhubarb for sale I've ever seen is the good red stems, but
usually floppy and not worth
buying :-))

In which case, why call it "champagne"[1]? Why qualify the name at
all?

All marketing people deserve to be coated in boiling hot greengage
jam
and hung over a beehive.

Now that's a nice idea :-)))

"misterroy" wrote in message

growing for a market stall, seeds are cheaper than roots, I am
prepared
to wait for the seeds to grow.

??? As a cattle producer, I know that a year lost where we don't sell
any cattle is is a year of profits gone.

You will lose more money from waiting for the seeds to turn into a
croppable plant than you will from using crowns.

Anyway, I've now become quite interested in this form of rhubarb and
did a bit of research. The first thing I did was to drag out my
Phillips and Rix and the only form of rhubarb with a "champagne" in
the name that they mention is a variety called "Hawke's Champagne".
They recommend it as an early variety. I then did a hunt around the
net and found another variety by the name of "Stein's Champagne".
According to one site I found, these two varieties are the ones
recommended as a result of RHS taste tests as being the top varieties
for eating.

But, having gained that info, I'm now wondering what it is you want to
do with this rhubarb. Do you want to sell forced rhubarb at the
beginning of the season or do you just want an early rhubarb before
others can produce it or do you want to sell the best tasting rhubarb?

If I was selling at a market stall, I know that I would just try to
have a good looking rhubarb. Not many people are decent enough cooks
these days to be too fussy about bought rhubarb. People who are fussy
will grow their own even if they have to resort to putting it in a
giant pot to grow.

Farm1 wrote:
"misterroy" wrote in message

growing for a market stall, seeds are cheaper than roots, I am
prepared
to wait for the seeds to grow.

??? As a cattle producer, I know that a year lost where we don't sell
any cattle is is a year of profits gone.

You will lose more money from waiting for the seeds to turn into a
croppable plant than you will from using crowns.

Agreed. I grew rhubarb from seed many years ago, both for fun and
because I was short of a few bob. IIRC, it was three years or more
before I could safely pull a few sticks. The other thing was that the
plants were fascinatingly variable: I had to assess which seedlings to
keep when they were still very small. It was very interesting, and it
didn't matter enormously for an amateur; but for commercial purposes,
where margins are crucial, my selection would probably have been way
off. I'm not convinced that the named varieties will come true from
seed: mine was from Sutton's, and I don't think they gave it a name.

Anyway, I've now become quite interested in this form of rhubarb and
did a bit of research. The first thing I did was to drag out my
Phillips and Rix and the only form of rhubarb with a "champagne" in
the name that they mention is a variety called "Hawke's Champagne".
They recommend it as an early variety. I then did a hunt around the
net and found another variety by the name of "Stein's Champagne".
According to one site I found, these two varieties are the ones
recommended as a result of RHS taste tests as being the top varieties
for eating.

Yes, "Champagne" is an old-established variety, alongside "Timperley
Early". I don't know which the professionals use.

But, having gained that info, I'm now wondering what it is you want to
do with this rhubarb. Do you want to sell forced rhubarb at the
beginning of the season or do you just want an early rhubarb before
others can produce it or do you want to sell the best tasting rhubarb?

If I was selling at a market stall, I know that I would just try to
have a good looking rhubarb. Not many people are decent enough cooks
these days to be too fussy about bought rhubarb. People who are fussy
will grow their own even if they have to resort to putting it in a
giant pot to grow.

Well, yes. But even going by appearance does imply choosing a reliably
good variety to start with. I'll be surprised if commercial crops
aren't blanched in Oz, as they are everywhere else: you can't really
afford to offer stems with green on them for sale. A small producer of
anything, whether rhubarb or cars, has to aim up-market. The UK
commercial boys grow the crowns outdoors, and then bring them on to
cropping in dark sheds -- in which it's said you can actually hear them
grow! (I think the sound is of the buds breaking their papery
covering.)

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
Farm1 wrote:
You will lose more money from waiting for the seeds to turn into a
croppable plant than you will from using crowns.

Agreed. I grew rhubarb from seed many years ago, both for fun and
because I was short of a few bob. IIRC, it was three years or more
before I could safely pull a few sticks. The other thing was that
the
plants were fascinatingly variable:

I've never grown them from seed but I've also heard that the seeds
produce variable offspring. I have always just acquired crowns from
friends as needed, but I have one variety now which is a total rip
snorter. I gave a crown of this variety to a friend, forgetting that
she actually grew rhubarb for sale. She thought I'd lost the plot but
planted it anyway and was so impressed with it that it became her
domestic consumption plant for a few years and then she started to
replace her 'for sale' crowns with it. I had to put it in a pot last
year to save if from sodding grasshoppers which were eating into the
crown before they could even burst.

I had to assess which seedlings to
keep when they were still very small. It was very interesting, and
it
didn't matter enormously for an amateur; but for commercial
purposes,
where margins are crucial, my selection would probably have been way
off. I'm not convinced that the named varieties will come true from
seed: mine was from Sutton's, and I don't think they gave it a name.

I wonder if they too had some doubts about it coming true from seed
and thus didn't name it???
If I was selling at a market stall, I know that I would just try
to
have a good looking rhubarb. Not many people are decent enough
cooks
these days to be too fussy about bought rhubarb. People who are
fussy
will grow their own even if they have to resort to putting it in a
giant pot to grow.

Well, yes. But even going by appearance does imply choosing a
reliably
good variety to start with.

Yes I agree, which is why I'd go for the crowns. There always seems
to be someone who is needing to bust up a large old clump and I've
never known anyone who isn't happy to give the unwanted crowns away.
At least by acquiring crowns there is some chance of asking about the
quality of the produce.

I'll be surprised if commercial crops
aren't blanched in Oz, as they are everywhere else:

It's actually reasonably hard to buy rhubarb at all (and the last time
I did buy it was in winter from a supermarket where the checkout chick
who must have been all of 10 year old didn't even know what it was. I
was gobsmacked). However, I'd be very surprised if it was grown in
any other way than in an open field situation. It's not the custom
here to do anything with one's rhubarb plants except to give them lots
of poop and lots of water.

you can't really
afford to offer stems with green on them for sale.

I have bought some with green on the upper part of the stems and I'll
quite happily pick my own that way too.

A small producer of
anything, whether rhubarb or cars, has to aim up-market. The UK
commercial boys grow the crowns outdoors, and then bring them on to
cropping in dark sheds -- in which it's said you can actually hear
them
grow! (I think the sound is of the buds breaking their papery
covering.)

I must admit that when I've seen articles on the Yorkshire??? rhubarb
houses, I've always been quite astounded at the investment. Rhubarb
is such an easy plant to grow that I've always wondered why they
bother. I can't really imagine that growing rhubarb which is a
delightful foodstuff could be all that mush improved by growing it
indoors. Either I just don't get it or there must be some
climate/location differences involved. A friend has told me that
forced rhubarb is worth trying so I've give it a go next spring but it
had better be knock your socks off better or I won't bother to do it
more than once.

Rhubarb does not come true to type from seeds.

So you might be wasting your time, go for roots any day.

In article , stevesmith
writes
Rhubarb does not come true to type from seeds.

So you might be wasting your time, go for roots any day.


I found it difficult to get the champagne variety rhubarb plants.
Apparently there are three or four varieties but not many people stock
them even though they are often recommended as the best tasting types of
Rhubarb. I believe Chenies in Buckinghamshire grows Buckinghamshire
Champagne rhubarb but we could never get any offcuts

janet

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

If you look at RHS plant-finder, under Rheum x hybridum "Champagne" you will find the wording "tentatively accepted name", which I suppose means that it isn't a well-defined variety. Two possibilities occur to me

(1) it is Stein's Champagne, an established variety with AGM, but very rarely available.

(2) Champagne rhubarb was used as a synonym for forced rhubarb. Then people turned up wanting to buy it as if it was a variety, and some unscrupulous seller offered them whatever they had to hand and called it Champagne. Informal networks then spread it out to people's gardens. (With easy-to-propagate plants, this is a remarkably effective method - a rare Chinese plant previously unknown to science or nurseries was discovered about 10 years ago as a houseplant common in Scandinavia, and traced back to a missionary who brought it back early in the 20th century as a memento of his stay. Likewise, the prolifically self-seeding giant Echium (E. pinninana) is rapidly becoming very common in England without it being easily available in garden centres as more of us get it to over-winter.)

My father claims to have "Champagne rhubarb" in his garden. It is more tender to the bite than my Timperleys, but so it ought to be growing it on moist Somerset clay as opposed to my dry stony soil. I ought to take a division and see if I can spot any difference.