What should I do if my rhubarb is blooming?
My rhubarb plants are blooming. What should I do? The flower stalks should be promptly pulled and discarded. Plant vigor and next year’s production will be reduced if the plants are allowed to flower and set seed. Flower formation may have been induced by stressful growing conditions, such as drought, extreme heat, or infertile soils.
Do rhubarb plants go to seed after flowering?
Producing flowers does not significantly affect the production of rhubarb in the following years. It’s letting the plant go to seed that will reduce production, at least a bit. So all you have to do is chop off the flower stalk as the last bloom fades and you’ll still have an abundant crop the next year.
Is it OK to eat rhubarb leaves?
Remember that only the rhubarb stalks are edible, so cut off the rhubarb leaves and discard them. Give new rhubarb plants at least a year before harvesting for the first time.
How to protect rhubarb in winter?
Over Wintering Rhubarb: Tips For Protecting Rhubarb In Winter. The bright colorful stalks of rhubarb make an excellent pie, compote or jam. This perennial has huge leaves and a tangle of rhizomes that persist year after year. The crown requires cool temperatures to “rest” before the plant regenerates in spring and produces the tangy stems.
Should I remove rhubarb flower?
Since rhubarb is grown for the stems, most gardeners choose to remove the flowers as soon as they appear so the plant can focus its energy on leaf growth. Rhubarb flowers can simply be cut from the plant as soon as you see them appear. If your rhubarb produces a flower, this does not affect the stems and leaves.
What happens if you let rhubarb flower?
Rhubarb does not die after flowering. However, its production of edible stalks (petioles) will slow. Most gardeners agree that it is best to remove flowers and seed pods as soon as you see them.
Can you use rhubarb after it flowers?
Is it safe to harvest rhubarb if the plant is flowering? While the flower or seed stalks should not be used, the leaf stalks are edible. However, the flower stalks should be promptly pulled and discarded. If allowed to develop, the flower stalks reduce plant vigor and next year's production.
What does it mean when a rhubarb plant flowers?
Flower development is natural for rhubarb and most other plants. Drought, extreme heat, and infertile soils may encourage flowering. Age is another factor. Old plants tend to flower more than younger ones.
When should you not pick rhubarb?
Although they can be picked into early fall, you want to make sure that you stop collecting the yummy stalks well before the last frost, to help ensure that the plant makes it through winter. The best stalks to harvest should be at least 10 to 15 inches long.
Is it better to cut or pull rhubarb?
While many gardeners harvest rhubarb by cutting the petioles with a sharp knife or pruning shears, it's much easier and better to harvest with a twist. Harvesting with a knife leaves stubs of rhubarb stalks behind. These stubs rot, and that rot can spread to the plant crowns, especially during wet springs.
How do you harvest rhubarb so it keeps growing?
When stalks are sliced with a knife, the part left behind withers away… and that's it. In contrast, twisting and pulling off the stalk allows it to separate from the bottom of the plant near the roots. This tells the plant to regrow a new stalk, giving you a more fruitful harvest and a healthier rhubarb plant.
How do you stop rhubarb from flowering?
So what can you do if you find your rhubarb has bolted? The first thing is to cut out the flower stalk straightaway and do so as close to the base of the plant as possible. Use a knife as the stalk is thicker and harder to remove by twisting and pulling as you would do when harvesting the leaf stalks.
How do you stop rhubarb from bolting?
Rhubarb does best in cool weather and if you're having a particularly warm Spring it can cause the rhubarb to bolt. Be sure to give your rhubarb plant adequate water. Other stressors can also cause rhubarb to bolt, such as insect or animal damage to the leaves or a lack of nutrients.
Is it better to cut or pull rhubarb?
While many gardeners harvest rhubarb by cutting the petioles with a sharp knife or pruning shears, it's much easier and better to harvest with a twist. Harvesting with a knife leaves stubs of rhubarb stalks behind. These stubs rot, and that rot can spread to the plant crowns, especially during wet springs.
Should rhubarb seed pods be removed?
Many people contact me and ask if it is okay to harvest and eat the rhubarb after it has flowered. The answer to this question is YES, simply remove and discard the flower/seed pod stalk, and pick the remaining rhubarb stalks as you normally would.
How do you harvest rhubarb so it keeps growing?
When stalks are sliced with a knife, the part left behind withers away… and that's it. In contrast, twisting and pulling off the stalk allows it to separate from the bottom of the plant near the roots. This tells the plant to regrow a new stalk, giving you a more fruitful harvest and a healthier rhubarb plant.
What Causes Flowering Rhubarb?
When a rhubarb flowers, this is called bolting or going to seed. When rhubarb goes to seed, this is perfectly normal. The rhubarb plant is doing wh...
How to Keep Rhubarb from Going to Seed
In order to keep rhubarb from bolting, you need to decide why it is flowering.If it is flowering due to variety, you can consider getting a more mo...
Should I Let My Rhubarb Flower?
There is no harm in letting your rhubarb flower, but keep in mind that energy the rhubarb plant puts towards making a flower and growing seeds is e...
It's almost spring, and spring means rhubarb time! Learn how to grow rhubarb for your own supply of this much-anticipated treat
If you only grow one vegetable this year, it should be rhubarb. Why? It’s so easy to learn how to grow rhubarb, because there’s so little you need to do! Once rhubarb is established in your garden or landscape, the plants come back for years.
Where to Find Rhubarb Plants
They could be right next door! Neighbors or friends with large, established rhubarb patches will be happy to share some with you. Rhubarb plants are easy to dig up, divide and replant. Divide the crown of a plant using a sharp shovel, and take a portion with at least two stems.
Where to Plant Rhubarb
Keep two things in mind when choosing the location for your rhubarb plant. First, because rhubarb is a perennial, it will grow back and grow larger in its location for years. Ideally, the spot you choose should be a permanent one.
How to Care for Rhubarb
One of the great things about rhubarb is that it’s low-maintenance plant, and will return every spring without any help at all. Give your new or divided rhubarb plants a year to get established. Be sure the soil around the plants stays moist, but not soggy. After the first year, your rhubarb will be strong enough that you can harvest the stems.
Tips for Growing and Harvesting Rhubarb
The rhubarb stalks are ready to harvest when they’re seven to 15 inches long. The color isn’t an indicator of ripeness, so don’t worry whether they’re red enough or not. (Here is our guide to picking rhubarb the right way.) You can harvest rhubarb beginning in spring and through mid summer.
How to Use Rhubarb
Rhubarb stems are edible the moment you pick them. Feel free to snack on a raw stalk—though you will find it has a mouth-puckering sourness! That’s why rhubarb is so often used in baked goods and desserts where that sour tang can be tempered with sugar.
Rhubarb Crisp
I found this strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe on a box of Quaker Oats about 20 years ago. It's quick and easier to make than pie. It's versatile, too, because you can add strawberries in spring or apples in fall. I usually pop it into the oven shortly before we sit down to eat so it's still warm for dessert! —C.E. Adams, Charlestown, New Hampshire
