|
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
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? cheers roy |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
"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? |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
"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 |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
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? |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
"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? |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
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 :-))) |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
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 :-))) |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
"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. |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
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. |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
"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. |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
Farm1 wrote: "Mike Lyle" wrote in message [...] 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. Yes, most of the UK growers are in Yorks. Passing Wakefield on the M'way you see fields of it, which for some reason I always find amusing. It isn't so much about climate or temp, as rhubarb is a cool temperate crop -- they even grow it in the Faroes -- it really is mainly about the darkness, so they get pure pink tender stems. The only times I've bothered to try the darkness treatment I've used those square black 25-litre dairy hypochlorite "drums" with the bottom sawn off. (I've lost count of the number of ways to use those things: sawn in half lengthways for pig troughs, crossways for tomato tubs, floats for carnival rafts, and so on and on.) -- Mike. |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
Mike Lyle writes
Yes, most of the UK growers are in Yorks. Passing Wakefield on the M'way you see fields of it, which for some reason I always find amusing. It isn't so much about climate or temp, as rhubarb is a cool temperate crop -- they even grow it in the Faroes -- it really is mainly about the darkness, so they get pure pink tender stems. Isn't it also about earliness? Yes, you can grow outside it all over the UK, but certainly Yorkshire it's more of an early summer crop than a spring crop, and moving it earlier into spring hits that gap before the cheap soft fruits arrive. -- Kay |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
K wrote: Mike Lyle writes Yes, most of the UK growers are in Yorks. Passing Wakefield on the M'way you see fields of it, which for some reason I always find amusing. It isn't so much about climate or temp, as rhubarb is a cool temperate crop -- they even grow it in the Faroes -- it really is mainly about the darkness, so they get pure pink tender stems. Isn't it also about earliness? Yes, you can grow outside it all over the UK, but certainly Yorkshire it's more of an early summer crop than a spring crop, and moving it earlier into spring hits that gap before the cheap soft fruits arrive. Yes, that must be at least as important as quality, as with any market crop: I have fantasies of The Great Rhubarb Race, like the old tea and wool clippers! "Eh, lad! Put thy back into it! I'll not 'ave me nose wiped by yon Sidebottom like last year!" I wonder if the crowns from the sheds are discarded afterwards, as with forced rhubarb. I'd love to visit one of the sheds and try to hear the buds breaking. -- Mike. |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
.. Passing Wakefield on the M'way you see fields of it, which for some reason I always find amusing. :-)) Is the term "rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb" used in the UK? Much better than the "yada, yada yada" which seems to have become popular since Seinfeld hit the small screen. It isn't so much about climate or temp, as rhubarb is a cool temperate crop -- they even grow it in the Faroes -- it really is mainly about the darkness, so they get pure pink tender stems. But what of the taste? Is it significantly different to the field grown stuff? The only times I've bothered to try the darkness treatment I've used those square black 25-litre dairy hypochlorite "drums" with the bottom sawn off. (I've lost count of the number of ways to use those things: sawn in half lengthways for pig troughs, crossways for tomato tubs, floats for carnival rafts, and so on and on.) I couldn't live without those type of drums (mine are from glass cleaner)! I use then with a tap just dripping to sit beside plants that need more water, I've cut the top off some to use as chook nesting boxes, I've cut the tops of some to use as big "hands" for collecting Autumn leaves, I've cut an L shaped bit from the top and a side so I can use it as a carrier for small tools. I've used them to soak things in etc, etc - wonderful (free) resouce. |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
Farm1 wrote: "Mike Lyle" wrote in message [...] It isn't so much about climate or temp, as rhubarb is a cool temperate crop -- they even grow it in the Faroes -- it really is mainly about the darkness, so they get pure pink tender stems. But what of the taste? Is it significantly different to the field grown stuff? [...] I've never bought rhubarb in my life, but I imagine it's the same as home-grown blanched: milder flavour, less acid. -- Mike. |
Quote:
(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. |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
Rhubarb does not come true to type from seeds.
So you might be wasting your time, go for roots any day. |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
"echinosum" wrote in message ... Farm1 Wrote: "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://tinyurl.com/yxeknq &frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/ed.1407!opendocument which suggests that it's merely blanched rhubarb. Is this right? 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. I'm not in the UK so don't have one. 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. I love stories like that :-)) What was the plant do you know? 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. I think that conditions do have a lot to do with good produce but I also think that getting a crown or 2 of good varieties is also a winner. My soil is also dry and stony (and it's also 'new' soil, meaning it was only cleared of native vegetation in the 1960s and has been used for unimproved pasture grazing since then so I've got a LOT of soil improvement to do still). Feeding and watering does make a difference but I'd kill for good soil. |
Quote:
|
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
"echinosum" wrote in message
Farm1 Wrote: [snip] (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. I love stories like that :-)) What was the plant do you know? [snip] Pilea peperomioides, see here for the story, my summary above is a bit inaccurate I now realise on glancing again at it: http://tinyurl.com/y4kd86 Thanks for that. Interesting (and your recall was near enough) :-)) -- echinosum |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
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 |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
In article , echinosum
writes 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. There are about three varieties of champagne Rhubarb (as opposed to just forcing stuff) however I only found Tweedy's (BIG COINCIDENCE!) Fruit suppliers in Scotland had any. They have at least one type I believe though it's difficult to find out as their catalogue wasn't great online or by post. There is a variety called Bucks or Buckinghamshire champagne Rhubarb but that's grown only at Chenies as far as I know. -- Janet Tweedy Dalmatian Telegraph http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
In message
, Farm1 writes "echinosum" wrote in message ... Farm1 Wrote: "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://tinyurl.com/yxeknq &frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/ed.1407!opendocument which suggests that it's merely blanched rhubarb. Is this right? 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. I'm not in the UK so don't have one. PlantFinder is available on-line. Follow your nose from www.rhs.org.uk -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
Hi all, thanks for the help, now that we've found sources on the RHS
site, the general reading of the comments says get crowns, which I'll probably do, but I've got some different questions now: 1. The seeds wont all be true, out of the packet, how many will be true? 2. When will I know they are true? 3. How will I know they are true? 4. The untrue plants, will they be ay use? Janet Tweedy wrote: In article , echinosum writes 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. There are about three varieties of champagne Rhubarb (as opposed to just forcing stuff) however I only found Tweedy's (BIG COINCIDENCE!) Fruit suppliers in Scotland had any. They have at least one type I believe though it's difficult to find out as their catalogue wasn't great online or by post. There is a variety called Bucks or Buckinghamshire champagne Rhubarb but that's grown only at Chenies as far as I know. -- Janet Tweedy Dalmatian Telegraph http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk |
Anyone have any champagne rhubarb seeds?
misterroy wrote: Hi all, thanks for the help, now that we've found sources on the RHS site, the general reading of the comments says get crowns, which I'll probably do, but I've got some different questions now: 1. The seeds wont all be true, out of the packet, how many will be true? Impossible to say; in a strict sense quite possibly none of them. 2. When will I know they are true? Not till you've eaten some and observed the plants' habits -- three years or more, I suppose. 3. How will I know they are true? If they're identical in all respects to a known genuine specimen. If you can grow your seedlings on for long enough, I'd say look for their qualities -- vigour, colour, non-stringiness, low acidity -- rather than concentrating on matching a particular variety. It's unrealistic to grow them all on for long enough to select for non-bolting, but that should really be a big factor too. 4. The untrue plants, will they be ay use? When I did it, I got far more plants than I could possibly use, and discarded most of them. I imagine some of the discards would have been positively sub-standard, but of course I don't know. I just selected the ones that seemed to be producing the most stems by the end of their first season. I can't remember now, but I think some were a better colour than others, too. I didn't get my scanties in a twist about it: growing conditions are probably more important than variety. This may even be true when it comes to earliness, too: the big point of rhubarb is that it gives you something fruity before anything else, and if you treat a nondescript variety right it will probably give you a crop just as soon as an "official" early variety left to its own devices -- or sooner. As I said earlier, it was good fun, but wouldn't have been sensible if I hadn't been a bit short of upfront money. The resulting plants didn't seem any different from anybody else's rhubarb in the end. -- Mike. |
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