The Poultry Keeper

vivaciousviv · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 86 Location: Lot Valley

Loads of muck it is. I have five crowns of Red Champage I planted last year. Didn't harvest last year but this year....whoaaa....we will be having rhubarb crumble icecream in the freezer and rhubarb bricoche pudding in our tummies. Oh and I have rhubarb preserved in vanilla vodka in the Cave. Enjoy Mojo. Viv

NannyP · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:14 pm Post subject:

Well, the good thing is, Moj and I planted ours last year...so we will be eating it this year Very Happy

What I didn't realise, until the other day, is...you should only pull 2 or 3 stalks from one plant at a time, this leaves it with leaves to help it recover from the plundering....so I could do with 2 or 3 more crowns (I saw some the other day in HyperU) so will buy some more tomorrow.

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1165 Location: Correze

Depends how established your crowns are, NannyP. Once they're "rampant" as long as you leave at least 25% of the stalks on, it'll be fine.

crazywelshchuck · Joined: 24 May 2008 Posts: 93

Hi
just seen this topic on rhubarb, well my mother in law gave me her plants a few years ago as not doing to well in her garden planted it next to my compost heap where all the chicken bedding/poo gets dumped and it is now 3-4ft high and about 2 and half inches thick we have entered it for the past few years into local shows and won hands down no one can believe it. I am convinced its the chicken poo, but also in winter as we are 800ft up on Snowdonia mountain range I cover it with barley straw from my nest boxes to stop the frost same for my strawberries and they are fab too.
If you live near North Wales you can have some of my rhubarb for your pie!!!

NannyP · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 10:34 am Post subject:

Wow, sounds like you have the answer....I'll have to think about either moving the compost heap or the rhubarb Very Happy

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:40 pm Post subject:

when to harvest rhubarb? It's nearly July and they are quite developed in leaf and stalk - is it too late?

crazypianolady · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 645 Location: Nottinghamshire

I pick mine until the end of July, the outside gets a bit tough so I usually peel it. Mine is a well established crown, though. If yours is a young-ish plant (less than three years) I'd leave for this year.

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 966 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Hi! I was delighted to get two crowns of Rhubard yesterday and have put them in next to the heap further to reading this thread. It's not a sunny spot by any means, but given they strive for light, I thought a bit of shade might help the stalk and therefore the taste. Am I making it up as I go along?

Also, my new crowns have nice little stalks that look tempting, but I won't touch this year, will they be good to use next summer?

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2370 Location: South Cumbria

It all dies back in the winter but you need to leave those stalks to put goodness into the crown best if you get another crown if you are going to force 1 so you have 1 to force 1 to eat in summer and 1 resting

crazywelshchuck · Joined: 24 May 2008 Posts: 93

Hi
My rhubarb is still going strong already had two big cut which supplied all the family, also got 2nd in North Wales show with and it will be going in the Anglesey show also.

Had loads of rhubarb crumble with fresh cream yummy!!!

crazypianolady · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 645 Location: Nottinghamshire

I made rhubarb and apple mint jelly last week - scrummy!