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.

Thanks

Roger T

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.

--
Rusty

The message
from Rusty Hinge contains these words:

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


Many thanks for that bit of gen Tone; I have been wondering what to
plant in the new bog area created by the privatised railway not
maintaining their cess drains and now I know.

--
Compo

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

One of my allotment neighbours has a rhubarb that is producing a flower
already. She asked what to do with it, and I wasn't really sure.

Are you meant to cut the flowers off to keep it producing?

wrote in message
...
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

One of my allotment neighbours has a rhubarb that is producing a flower
already. She asked what to do with it, and I wasn't really sure.

Are you meant to cut the flowers off to keep it producing?


This link says remove them :
http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-growing.html
HTH
R. 8-)

In article , niknot-
says...
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.

Thanks

Roger T

poor or dry soil can sometimes make plants want to flower and set seed,
could there be something under one clump thats not under the others?
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Paul Simonite wrote:
The message
from Rusty Hinge contains these words:

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


Many thanks for that bit of gen Tone; I have been wondering what to
plant in the new bog area created by the privatised railway not
maintaining their cess drains and now I know.

Beware of the jungleybeasts which will take-up residence...

Daily Wail

Bears and wolves spotted in Caithness!

Gamekeeper Ivor Gunn reports seeing a wildcat stalking a train on the
Thurso line. He describes it as golden ochre with mainly vertical black
stripes, and from nose to tail measured around nine feet.

I pursuit of an anticlockwise haggis, Clan Chief Grumach Macabre of
Auchterloonie became lost amongst a new forest which had appeared
seemingly overnight. The haggis escaped.

--
Rusty

Paul Simonite wrote:
The message
from Rusty Hinge contains these words:

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


Many thanks for that bit of gen Tone; I have been wondering what to
plant in the new bog area created by the privatised railway not
maintaining their cess drains and now I know.

Beware of the jungleybeasts which will take-up residence...

Daily Wail

Bears and wolves spotted in Caithness!

Gamekeeper Ivor Gunn reports seeing a wildcat stalking a train on the
Thurso line. He describes it as golden ochre with mainly vertical black
stripes, and from nose to tail measured around nine feet.

I pursuit of an anticlockwise haggis, Clan Chief Grumach Macabre of
Auchterloonie became lost amongst a new forest which had appeared
seemingly overnight. The haggis escaped.

--
Rusty


--
Rusty

wrote:
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

One of my allotment neighbours has a rhubarb that is producing a flower
already. She asked what to do with it, and I wasn't really sure.

Are you meant to cut the flowers off to keep it producing?

Cut the stem s near the ground as possible.

--
Rusty

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from 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

One of my allotment neighbours has a rhubarb that is producing a flower
already. She asked what to do with it, and I wasn't really sure.

Are you meant to cut the flowers off to keep it producing?

No, just to conserve the strength of the root system.

The OP's clump may be on its last legs . Since he has others, I'd dig
it out, save some small lively looking bits
of root from the outer edges, and start a new clump in a nearby spot.
(Dig very big deep hole, fill with manure, old bones, road kill,
old leather shoes, and fresh soil.)

If you could also get hold of a dead donkey that would probably help too,
but of course the hole would need to be deeper.
Tina

On Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:30:41 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:

(Dig very big deep hole, fill with manure, old bones, road kill,
old leather shoes, and fresh soil.)

If you could also get hold of a dead donkey that would probably help too,
but of course the hole would need to be deeper.

Not if it's well rotted down.

The back of the airing cupboard would seem to be about the right
temperature. After a year or so the skin makes a nice hard wearing
egg-cosy.

Derek ;-)

Christina Websell wrote:

If you could also get hold of a dead donkey that would probably help too,
but of course the hole would need to be deeper.

Possibly, but it'd be better to plant a grapevine over it...

--
Rusty

On Thu, 22 Apr 2010 Rusty Hinge wrote:

Christina Websell wrote:

If you could also get hold of a dead donkey that would probably help
too, but of course the hole would need to be deeper.

Possibly, but it'd be better to plant a grapevine over it...

No, no, no! For grape vines you need stones. Lots of them! ;-)

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

David Rance wrote:
On Thu, 22 Apr 2010 Rusty Hinge wrote:

Christina Websell wrote:

If you could also get hold of a dead donkey that would probably help
too, but of course the hole would need to be deeper.

Possibly, but it'd be better to plant a grapevine over it...

No, no, no! For grape vines you need stones. Lots of them! ;-)

No-no-no-no-NO!

I prefer seedless grapes.

--
Rusty

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