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Author Topic: rhubarb - gone to seed  (Read 9033 times)

sellickbhoy

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Muiravonside, near Linlithgow
rhubarb - gone to seed
« on: April 13, 2009, 05:09:18 pm »
one of my rhubarb plants has gone to seed!!

it's a new crown - only bought/planted it in october/november - and wasn't even planning to eat it this year, let it have another ful year to grow!

so, what do i do know? will it continue to grow and have nice tasty stalks - or after this year is that it for this plant?

i'd never encountered rhubarb going to seed until now (and 5 mins ago when i was in the garden centre and they were selling rhubarb plants and 2 of them had gone to seed)


VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2009, 06:43:48 pm »
cut off the flowering stem. It should continue to produce stems. But if you only planted it in the autumn I would be wary of harvesting too much  (if any) off it - it needs a year to establish and build up strength.
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Fluffywelshsheep

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Near Stirling, Central Scotland
Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2009, 06:57:01 pm »
you just cut of the flower stem.


sellickbhoy

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Muiravonside, near Linlithgow
Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2009, 06:58:57 pm »
thanks, ill go lop it off now

it has produced a couple of other stems, and i didn't plan to eat any of that one this year anyway.


Fluffywelshsheep

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Near Stirling, Central Scotland
Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2009, 07:21:56 pm »
they may have gone to seed is due to the sudden warm weather we have had from a hard long cold frost.

Linz

pickleandpreserve

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Herefordshire, UK
    • pickleandpreserve
Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2009, 04:58:51 pm »
I've just had to cut about 10 seed heads off my two crowns. Must be something to do with the weather.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2009, 08:34:50 pm »
I've never known our rhubarb to flower like it has this year - must be the weather. I just lop them off.

gallovidian

  • Joined May 2009
  • S W Scotland
    • Idle Hour Holidays
Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2009, 10:48:19 am »
I had an enormous clump on the allotment years back and that almost always went to seed; as folk have said, just lop the flower heads off (pref as soon as you see them) and it will do fine.
Two blokes, 2 hounds and a rural retreat in Galloway

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
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Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2009, 10:52:23 am »
Yes, I've just taken off a few flower heads on the one I got from Rosemary.  Another one grew so I've cut that off too.  It's quite slow growing so I won't use any of it this year to let it make itself at home.  My cousin has loads and she brought some down at the weekend.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

sellickbhoy

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Muiravonside, near Linlithgow
Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2009, 12:16:31 pm »
I think i'll be having some of my first rhubarb in the next few weeks - having resisted picking any all last year!

I've also started some off from seed i'm doing 8 in the greenhouse and 8 indoors - so far they are both doing well, though the ones indoors in the heated propogator are way ahead of the greenhouse ones (despite going in several weeks later!)

the indoor ones are now out of the propogator and are getting hardened off a bit, but in a few weeks i'll move all the seedlings outdoors to enjoy the scottish summer

depending on how big they get by the autumn i'll either leave them out for the winter or they'll come into the greenhouse

i don't expect they'll be near ready to eat for 2 years - which will be about the time i'm planning to lift and split the rhubard that's already growing

I hope i'll have far too much of the stuff - i've a big enough plot for it all and i've already picked a spot on the roadside across from the house to plant it wild! always nice to have a wee stash close at hand!!


Fluffywelshsheep

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Near Stirling, Central Scotland
Re: rhubarb - gone to seed
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2009, 12:53:00 pm »
mine is still in it's pot waiting for hubby to set plot up but i have taken a couple of stalks off and put them in the freezer for when it need to be used.

I have read that you can take of stalk off as long as you leave at least half the stalk on the plant.

Linz

 

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