My 'Champagne' rhubarb (crown bought last year) is developing a flower bud.

I've grown rhubarb for years, of unknown source, and have never seen this in
my garden (although of course I've seen it a lot in the fields).

What I'd like to know is will the plant die after flowering?

Should I attempt to stop it from flowering by cutting off the flowering
stem? I wouldn't have thought that would work!

Has anyone any idea what could have spurred this premature maturity?

I bought three crowns, one simply didn't sprout, the other isn't doing
much.They haven't been forced, I didn't have a good crop from them last
year. All in all I was very disappointed both by the service I got from the
supplier and the material supplied.

Mary

In message , Mary
Fisher writes
My 'Champagne' rhubarb (crown bought last year) is developing a flower bud.

I've grown rhubarb for years, of unknown source, and have never seen this in
my garden (although of course I've seen it a lot in the fields).

What I'd like to know is will the plant die after flowering?

Should I attempt to stop it from flowering by cutting off the flowering
stem? I wouldn't have thought that would work!

Has anyone any idea what could have spurred this premature maturity?

I bought three crowns, one simply didn't sprout, the other isn't doing
much.They haven't been forced, I didn't have a good crop from them last
year. All in all I was very disappointed both by the service I got from the
supplier and the material supplied.

Mary



One of my rhubarb plants has flowered this year, I planted 6 as seeds
last year and only this one has flowered. As I want decent rhubarb (for
wine) I've chopped the stem off, as apparently after flowering/seeding
the plants don't recover/perform very well.

--
Mike Buckley
RD350LC2
GSF600S
http://www.toastyhamster.org
BONY#38

mike. buckley wrote:
[...]
One of my rhubarb plants has flowered this year, I planted 6 as
seeds
last year and only this one has flowered. As I want decent rhubarb
(for wine) I've chopped the stem off, as apparently after
flowering/seeding the plants don't recover/perform very well.

Fascinating: rhubarb from seed is variable and sometimes
disappointing (I've done it), but I'm much impressed by a form which
will flower so young. If space is at a premium, I'd get rid of it
altogether, as I doubt if this sex-crazed youngster will ever give
you good crops. If there's space, I might keep it for fun, perhaps
moving it to a flower-bed.

--
Mike.

Woolly jumpers? Why? Am intrigued...

Clare

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message t
Champagne is not one of the most robust varieties, iirc.People often
put the rhubarb patch in some less-favoured corner of the garden, but it
really repays good conditions. I plant it above a seriously big hole
stuffed with as much manure, home made compost, old bones, roadkill,
woolly jumpers etc as I can lay hands on.

Janet

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

My 'Champagne' rhubarb (crown bought last year) is developing a flower
bud.

I've grown rhubarb for years, of unknown source, and have never seen
this in
my garden (although of course I've seen it a lot in the fields).

What I'd like to know is will the plant die after flowering?

No chance

Should I attempt to stop it from flowering by cutting off the flowering
stem? I wouldn't have thought that would work!

I just pull them off (stalk and all, as soon as I notice them). It
may respond with more flowers, pull them off too. By removing the flower
you're encouraging the plant to put its energy into expanding the crowns
instead.

OK, I'll try it, thank you.

Has anyone any idea what could have spurred this premature maturity?

I don't think it is particularly premature, is it? Now I can't
remember which month mine flowers

Well, none of my others has become sexually mature after almost forty years
.... !

I bought three crowns, one simply didn't sprout, the other isn't doing
much.They haven't been forced, I didn't have a good crop from them last
year. All in all I was very disappointed both by the service I got from
the
supplier and the material supplied.

Champagne is not one of the most robust varieties, iirc.People often
put the rhubarb patch in some less-favoured corner of the garden, but it
really repays good conditions.

Oh they're in a good place, west facing with masses of natural manure (hen)
and compost. In contrast, the other, ancient, plants are in an east facing
hedge bottom with a caravan hiding most of the rest of the sunlight,
surrounded by grass and weeds - right up to them - and totally neglected
except for pulling the stalks.

I cut off the big flower stem and saw another leaping up from the bottom.
I'll give them a chance this year and if they do nothing much I'll try
something else.

Thank you very much,

Mary

In article , Janet Baraclough
writes

Champagne is not one of the most robust varieties, iirc.People often
put the rhubarb patch in some less-favoured corner of the garden, but it
really repays good conditions. I plant it above a seriously big hole
stuffed with as much manure, home made compost, old bones, roadkill,
woolly jumpers etc as I can lay hands on.

Janet


How often do you divide it Janet? Mine has never been divided but does
crop moderately well. It has good stalks but they are quite stocky so I
don't get a lot to one plant, I would love to get another variety or
would I get more energy if I divided it?

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

The message
from Janet Tweedy contains these words:
In article , Janet Baraclough
writes

Champagne is not one of the most robust varieties, iirc.People often
put the rhubarb patch in some less-favoured corner of the garden, but it
really repays good conditions. I plant it above a seriously big hole
stuffed with as much manure, home made compost, old bones, roadkill,
woolly jumpers etc as I can lay hands on.


How often do you divide it Janet? Mine has never been divided but does
crop moderately well. It has good stalks but they are quite stocky so I
don't get a lot to one plant, I would love to get another variety or
would I get more energy if I divided it?

You'd do better to divide it.

1) Dig a big hole. The old books suggest four feet deep by three feet
square - assuming the water table permits.

2) Put lots of old bones, old (leather) shoes, old woollies &c in the
bottom, mixed with some of the earth and somecompost, manure &c, and
filling the hole with the remainder of the soil and more manure.

3) you will end up with a smallish mound.

4) Dig up crown, and separate off the new outside growth.

5) plant one of these in your new bed. The rest you can either use for
forcing, then throw away, or plant in the unprepared soil (assuming you
don't want to dig some more rhubarb mines)

6) Look at http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/roobarb2.jpg - this was
planted last spring in such a bed, and the crown (Timperley Early) was
about the size of a small parsnip. The pic was taken late summer.

7) Thus reassured that it really is worth it, DO NOT PULL A SINGLE STICK
IN THE FIRST YEAR. (Or you risk weakening the crown.)

8) Instead, use some of your spare new crowns sacrificially...

In another place, I dug a deep trench round a bed and filled it as
described, getting lots of old woollens and shoes after jumble sales had
finished. Bones from the butcher, and stable manure (free, but please
return the bags).

My old man had dug up his rhubarb patch as it was only producing skinny
little sticks. I saved the crowns and did as described ^ up there. He
was astonished at the results.

One of the sticks (without leaf) weighed a full pound - and it was not
past its prime.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes

lots of good advice about rhubarb growing and feeding. Most of which I
have done but wondered if I ought to split my crop or buy new.


Thanks for all the information, I hadn't realised the hole had to be
that big! I would like to have bought a new variety as this might extend
the season or might just give me slightly more tender rhubarb, as, even
when young my rhubarb is quite 'sturdy' I would have like to have gone
for a champagne variety there are a couple I believe, as mine is
probably Victoria.

Will start digging this week! Haven't got old shoes and bones would be
dug up by the dogs but the rest is fine

janet

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

The message
from Janet Tweedy contains these words:
In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes

lots of good advice about rhubarb growing and feeding. Most of which I
have done but wondered if I ought to split my crop or buy new.

Split it. That's all they do with 'new' stock.

If your rhubarb flowers regularly, it might pay to replace that.

The stuff my old man heaved out wasn't only 'not very good', there were
hardly any sticks thicker than my index finger.

Feeding it as I did, oh, and I forgot to mention, lashings of liquid
feed made from nettles, kitchen waste &c, and leaving the plants
untouched for a year resulted in some sticks as thick as a
ten-year-old's wrist.

Thanks for all the information, I hadn't realised the hole had to be
that big!

It doesn't *HAVE* to be, but it pays. The root will go down nearly that
deep if there is nutrient for it, and the deeper the root, the better
the crop.

Oh, and a mature crown will reward you for a lot of watering. It is
(almost) impossible to give rhubarb too much water. (I gave mine 4
gallons, yesterday, and if it doesn't rain today, it'll get another
dousing tonight.)

Some Tomorite or similar is appreciated too.

I would like to have bought a new variety as this might extend
the season or might just give me slightly more tender rhubarb, as, even
when young my rhubarb is quite 'sturdy' I would have like to have gone
for a champagne variety there are a couple I believe, as mine is
probably Victoria.

Well fed rhubarb grows more quickly, consequently is more tender, but by
all means, add other varieties. Remember though, that rhubarb wine is a
no-no for anyone with arthritis or similar.

Will start digging this week! Haven't got old shoes and bones would be
dug up by the dogs but the rest is fine

Importune your friends for old shoes, or your local shoemender for
offcuts, etc If you put the bones in the bottom of the pit, you can
cover the patch with wire netting - but large enough to let the stalks
grow through.

The other thing you can use is bonemeal and/or hoof and horn. Those, and
wool, release nutrients (phosphates, mainly) slowly into the soil.

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 17:43:38 +0100, Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

My 'Champagne' rhubarb (crown bought last year) is developing a flower bud.

I've grown rhubarb for years, of unknown source, and have never seen
this in
my garden (although of course I've seen it a lot in the fields).

What I'd like to know is will the plant die after flowering?

No chance

Should I attempt to stop it from flowering by cutting off the flowering
stem? I wouldn't have thought that would work!

I just pull them off (stalk and all, as soon as I notice them). It
may respond with more flowers, pull them off too. By removing the flower
you're encouraging the plant to put its energy into expanding the crowns
instead.

Has anyone any idea what could have spurred this premature maturity?

I don't think it is particularly premature, is it? Now I can't
remember which month mine flowers

I bought three crowns, one simply didn't sprout, the other isn't doing
much.They haven't been forced, I didn't have a good crop from them last
year. All in all I was very disappointed both by the service I got from the
supplier and the material supplied.

Champagne is not one of the most robust varieties, iirc.People often
put the rhubarb patch in some less-favoured corner of the garden, but it
really repays good conditions. I plant it above a seriously big hole
stuffed with as much manure, home made compost, old bones, roadkill,
woolly jumpers etc as I can lay hands on.

Janet

Pulled 8 flowering stems off my plant last weekend. I'm sure it wasn't
so early last year.

--
Tim C.

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message 1115131168.1bbdcfd5f4c6ed586167a9adb845a77b@teran ews
from Tim Challenger contains these words:


Pulled 8 flowering stems off my plant last weekend. I'm sure it
wasn't
so early last year.

I had a good look at mine this am. no sign of flower buds yet.

Thee's another one on mine :-(

Mary

Janet

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes

Feeding it as I did, oh, and I forgot to mention, lashings of liquid
feed made from nettles, kitchen waste &c, and leaving the plants
untouched for a year resulted in some sticks as thick as a
ten-year-old's wrist.


Oh I get thick stems but the actual variety isn't what I would term
'tender' as some I have seen.

Well fed rhubarb grows more quickly, consequently is more tender, but by
all means, add other varieties. Remember though, that rhubarb wine is a
no-no for anyone with arthritis or similar.

I was thinking of crumble but in our puddings not my bones!


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