I know it may be a bit early to ask this, but when should I lift the rhubarb
to
allow it to 'frost'?

As decent frosts are few and far between these days, I was going to put it
in the freezer for a while.

Alan

It's not necessary to do that, poor rhubarb plant


Alan Holmes wrote:
I know it may be a bit early to ask this, but when should I lift the
rhubarb to
allow it to 'frost'?

As decent frosts are few and far between these days, I was going to
put it in the freezer for a while.

Alan

Robert The Devil's Advocate www.pafc.co.uk

In article , Alan Holmes
writes

I know it may be a bit early to ask this, but when should I lift the rhubarb
to
allow it to 'frost'?

As decent frosts are few and far between these days, I was going to put it
in the freezer for a while.

If a rhubarb root clump is fairly old, or very large, or showing any
signs of rot etc., it is worth lifting and dividing it whether it gets
frosted or not. That is best done after the plant has become dormant,
i.e. around mid-October/early November. The root divisions need to be
back in the ground, preferably in a fresh place by the turn of the year
[Dec.21,winter solstice traditionally] in order to give them a chance to
make a really early start for the next crop.

The idea of letting the roots become frosted is said to increase their
sugar content and thus give the following year's stems more sweetness. I
personally don't think it does that, but then we prefer our rhubarb to
be really sharp and tangy anyway - not acid though, so we don't attempt
to let them catch frost. The freezer idea might work, though it may be
far too cold for living plant roots to withstand - it is a rather
different thing from freezing ungerminated seeds. You could try one root
division as an experiment to see what happens. I'd say that 24 hours in
at as least cold a temperature possible would be enough.

For really early forcing rhubarb, take a smallish young looking root
division at the same time as above, pot it up in good fibrous loam or
organic compost and keep it in a sheltered place until early to mid-
January. By then the first crinkles of new green shoots should be
showing and the pot should be moved into a greenhouse or conservatory.
Place another equal sized pot over the plant to exclude light and
draughts. New stems should be ready to take in a few weeks. They will
be a bit pale and lacking in flavour, but better than those available in
shops at the time. The forced root should be discarded after cropping.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

The message
from Alan Gould contains these words:

If a rhubarb root clump is fairly old, or very large, or showing any
signs of rot etc., it is worth lifting and dividing it whether it gets
frosted or not. That is best done after the plant has become dormant,
i.e. around mid-October/early November. The root divisions need to be
back in the ground, preferably in a fresh place by the turn of the year
[Dec.21,winter solstice traditionally] in order to give them a chance to
make a really early start for the next crop.

If you do divide the crown, you shouldn't pull *ANY* sticks of rhubarb
from the replanted crowns the following year. If you have more than one
crown, you can leave one. If not, carefully remove a couple of the new
(outer) growths and leave the rest of the crown in situ, pulling from
that the following year.

Rhubarb likes plenty of nourishment. Back in the '60s my old man dug out
some weedy crowns and slung them on the compost heap, from where I
rescued them.

I took them home and prepared the ground. As per instructions from an
old gardening fiend I dug a trench three feet deep. (He said a four foot
hole for each crown, but a trench was easier, and four feet was, I
thought, overkill!)

As per instructions, I filled the bottom of the trench with bones, old
leather shoes (left over from a jumble sale) and old woollens, ditto ex
jumble, and mixed the excavated soil with rotted horse manure, hoof and
horn, dried blood and compost, and filled in the trench.

I divided the crowns, discrding the central portions, and planted the
outside roots in the resulting mound of soil. Keping the new crowns well
watered in the spring, they soon began to look anything but weedy, but I
didn't pull any, as per instructions.

One of my friends saw my jungle and asked if he could pull some. I said
no, but he could have as much as he wanted next year.

He was a bit miffed, but the following year he 'wondered' in the
biblical sense, and said how glad he was that I hadn't let him pull any.
It was waist-high, the leaves were vast, and the stems like wrestlers'
arms. One particularly large stick (not too old, and with the leaf
removed) weighed a pound. (·4537205 kg for any youngsters)

I thoroughly recommend giving rhubarb the works, and stop pulling it
when the gooseberries are ready for picking.

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.

Rusty Hinge wrote in message ...

snipped

As per instructions, I filled the bottom of the trench with bones, old
leather shoes (left over from a jumble sale) and old woollens, ditto ex
jumble, and mixed the excavated soil with rotted horse manure, hoof and
horn, dried blood and compost, and filled in the trench.

I divided the crowns, discrding the central portions, and planted the
outside roots in the resulting mound of soil. Keping the new crowns well
watered in the spring, they soon began to look anything but weedy, but I
didn't pull any, as per instructions.

One of my friends saw my jungle and asked if he could pull some. I said
no, but he could have as much as he wanted next year.

He was a bit miffed, but the following year he 'wondered' in the
biblical sense, and said how glad he was that I hadn't let him pull any.
It was waist-high, the leaves were vast, and the stems like wrestlers'
arms. One particularly large stick (not too old, and with the leaf
removed) weighed a pound. (·4537205 kg for any youngsters)


My father-in-law's rhubarb is like that. He puts all his weeds in a
bucket of water, and in spring ladles the resulting "stew" (absolutely
foul smelling) over the crowns. His rhubarb patch stinks to high
heaven but it grows like mad!

Rusty Hinge wrote in message ...

snipped

As per instructions, I filled the bottom of the trench with bones, old
leather shoes (left over from a jumble sale) and old woollens, ditto ex
jumble, and mixed the excavated soil with rotted horse manure, hoof and
horn, dried blood and compost, and filled in the trench.

I divided the crowns, discrding the central portions, and planted the
outside roots in the resulting mound of soil. Keping the new crowns well
watered in the spring, they soon began to look anything but weedy, but I
didn't pull any, as per instructions.

One of my friends saw my jungle and asked if he could pull some. I said
no, but he could have as much as he wanted next year.

He was a bit miffed, but the following year he 'wondered' in the
biblical sense, and said how glad he was that I hadn't let him pull any.
It was waist-high, the leaves were vast, and the stems like wrestlers'
arms. One particularly large stick (not too old, and with the leaf
removed) weighed a pound. (·4537205 kg for any youngsters)


My father-in-law's rhubarb is like that. He puts all his weeds in a
bucket of water, and in spring ladles the resulting "stew" (absolutely
foul smelling) over the crowns. His rhubarb patch stinks to high
heaven but it grows like mad!

Rusty Hinge wrote in message ...

snipped

As per instructions, I filled the bottom of the trench with bones, old
leather shoes (left over from a jumble sale) and old woollens, ditto ex
jumble, and mixed the excavated soil with rotted horse manure, hoof and
horn, dried blood and compost, and filled in the trench.

I divided the crowns, discrding the central portions, and planted the
outside roots in the resulting mound of soil. Keping the new crowns well
watered in the spring, they soon began to look anything but weedy, but I
didn't pull any, as per instructions.

One of my friends saw my jungle and asked if he could pull some. I said
no, but he could have as much as he wanted next year.

He was a bit miffed, but the following year he 'wondered' in the
biblical sense, and said how glad he was that I hadn't let him pull any.
It was waist-high, the leaves were vast, and the stems like wrestlers'
arms. One particularly large stick (not too old, and with the leaf
removed) weighed a pound. (·4537205 kg for any youngsters)


My father-in-law's rhubarb is like that. He puts all his weeds in a
bucket of water, and in spring ladles the resulting "stew" (absolutely
foul smelling) over the crowns. His rhubarb patch stinks to high
heaven but it grows like mad!

The message
from (Pickle) contains these words:

My father-in-law's rhubarb is like that. He puts all his weeds in a
bucket of water, and in spring ladles the resulting "stew" (absolutely
foul smelling) over the crowns. His rhubarb patch stinks to high
heaven but it grows like mad!

Would do. Rhubarb is a greedy feeder, but it rewards you if you are kind
to it. I really must restore my elephant gun before I plant a
crown......

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 10:17:01 +0100, Rusty Hinge
wrote:

~The message
~from (Pickle) contains these words:
~
~ My father-in-law's rhubarb is like that. He puts all his weeds in a
~ bucket of water, and in spring ladles the resulting "stew" (absolutely
~ foul smelling) over the crowns. His rhubarb patch stinks to high
~ heaven but it grows like mad!
~
~Would do. Rhubarb is a greedy feeder, but it rewards you if you are kind
~to it. I really must restore my elephant gun before I plant a
~crown......

giggle my patch grows beside the place where the manure heap is.
Three years ago when there was no manure and I got the plot, I had a
really pathetic weedy patch. Now, as you say, it needs an elephant
gun...


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

In article ,
says...


I took them home and prepared the ground. As per instructions from an
old gardening fiend I dug a trench three feet deep. (He said a four foot
hole for each crown, but a trench was easier, and four feet was, I
thought, overkill!)

We used to plant ours using the ridge and furrower we also used for the
potatoes. Mind, we did *acres* at a time then G
--
David
Visit http://www.farm-direct.co.uk for your local farmgate food supplies.
FAQ's, Glossary, Farming Year and more!

In article ,
says...


I took them home and prepared the ground. As per instructions from an
old gardening fiend I dug a trench three feet deep. (He said a four foot
hole for each crown, but a trench was easier, and four feet was, I
thought, overkill!)

We used to plant ours using the ridge and furrower we also used for the
potatoes. Mind, we did *acres* at a time then G
--
David
Visit http://www.farm-direct.co.uk for your local farmgate food supplies.
FAQ's, Glossary, Farming Year and more!

In article ,
says...


I took them home and prepared the ground. As per instructions from an
old gardening fiend I dug a trench three feet deep. (He said a four foot
hole for each crown, but a trench was easier, and four feet was, I
thought, overkill!)

We used to plant ours using the ridge and furrower we also used for the
potatoes. Mind, we did *acres* at a time then G
--
David
Visit http://www.farm-direct.co.uk for your local farmgate food supplies.
FAQ's, Glossary, Farming Year and more!

In article ,
says...


I took them home and prepared the ground. As per instructions from an
old gardening fiend I dug a trench three feet deep. (He said a four foot
hole for each crown, but a trench was easier, and four feet was, I
thought, overkill!)

We used to plant ours using the ridge and furrower we also used for the
potatoes. Mind, we did *acres* at a time then G
--
David
Visit http://www.farm-direct.co.uk for your local farmgate food supplies.
FAQ's, Glossary, Farming Year and more!