How much rhubarb can i harvest

When harvesting rhubarb, remember that the colour of the rhubarb does not determine when it is ready for harvest. It is the variety of the rhubarb which determines the colour of the stalks. The red or green colour does not affect the flavour, although people prefer the redder varieties.

After harvesting rhubarb it can be wrapped, and kept in your refrigerator for several days, or stored by freezing or canning. After harvesting my rhubarb, I like to use as much fresh rhubarb as I need for baking or cooking for the week. I like to freeze the rest of the rhubarb Freezing rhubarb is a very simple process. I always have a lot of rhubarb in the freezer for making all sorts of delicious baked and cooked recipes all winter long.

If your rhubarb plants have been hit by freezing temperatures they can still be harvested as long as the stalks are still upright and firm. The leaves may show some frost damage, but since they are discarded, this is not a worry. If the plants have been affected by freezing temperatures and the stems appear to be mushy and soft, do not eat them.

Severe cold injury may cause the oxalic acid crystals in the leaves to migrate to the stalks increasing the concern of poisoning by consumption of the stalks. If in doubt about the safety of eating stalks which have been hit by frost, do not eat them. Fresh or preserved rhubarb makes the most delectable rhubarb pies, tarts, cookies, cakes, breads, muffins, desserts and so much more It can even be baked or stewed, and also makes amazing dinner or supper menus!

Use rhubarb with pork, beef chicken, fish or lamb to make scrumptious dinner meals too! Use the navigation bars of this website for links to over amazing recipes to make with your harvested rhubarb! It is fun combining rhubarb with different fruits, combining the tart goodness of rhubarb with the sweetness of other fruits! A very common combination is rhubarb and strawberries. Growing rhubarb takes VERY little effort, and harvesting rhubarb always produces an abundant reward!

Below or use the navigation bars at the left hand column are links to additional pages with helpful information about growing rhubarb in the home garden. It takes several years for rhubarb plants to be mature enough to produce a good harvest. Rhubarb has many other uses, from medicinal to cosmetic.

See how to naturally lighten your hair with rhubarb. Check out our list of best rhubarb recipes to put your fresh rhubarb to good use! Plus, learn how to make a rhubarb tonic. I live is Michigan. I planted 4 new rhubarb crowns from a company in MASS. I planted them 5ft apart in mounds in a sunny location. All 4 came up and looked nice but lately each plant started to get yellow on the outer large leaves.

Our garden is new and pretty sandy. We added compost in the spring. Do you have any ideas? Hi I planted three crowns this year my rhubarb seems to have taken but the leave are full of holes is this okay or should I put down some slug pellets. Amanda, if you haven't already done so, cut the flower stalk off.

It will only sap energy from the plant that you want to go to the stems and roots. You may also want to think about dividing the plants since I assume your mother's patch has been around a while. Lots of good on line advice about that. Good luck with the rhubarb! She always grew and harvested the rhubarb so this is all new to me. What do I do with this stalk? Leave it? Cut it? Hi--I ordered 2 rhubarb crowns from a seller on Etsy and they have arrived alive.

But they are very small. Should I plant these in containers and keep them in my unheated basement near a sunny window for the winter OR should I go ahead and plant them in the prepared raised bed.

I live in NC, growing zone 7b. Thanks for any advice! That is remarkably small. Our research suggests that zone 7b is right on the line of survivability and success, so rather than recommend any particular care, call the coop extension. Can rhubarb still be harvested in Sept? I had heard to only harvest in months with no "R".

Yes, that is an old rule of thumb. The idea is that you leave the stalks after August so that they can continue to grow and stay healthy. Of course, if the stalks get too big, they taste woody and unappetizing so keep that in mind.

Can you please advise me as to what I should do with my the leaves from my rhubarb? I was told not to compost them Hi Donna, You can dispose of the rhubarb leaves in your compost.

The oxalic acid in the leaves will be broken down over time, rendering it safe. I was given a PKG of rhubarb seeds, which I planted in the spring in a container.

They grew! It is now mid-July and they are getting larger with nice leaves. It is too hot to transplant into the ground. What do I do with them from here?? Do I transplant them into larger containers till fall?? Didn't really think they would grow - but now here they are! What next?? If the rhubarb seems to have outgrown its container roots are visible coming out the bottom , then you can transplant it into a larger container until the weather cools off in early fall, at which point you should plant them in their permanent home!

After repotting, be sure to keep it watered and out of the hot sun. We were given a fresh bunch of pulled rhubarb. Many had small fresh leaves started and we trimmed each carefully and placed in a dish with water. Will it continue to grow or should it be placed in soil? I purchased 4 potluck 1 yr old rhubarb crowns from my local garden centre this spring over winter the labels had been misplaced. Buying rhubarb plants Gardeners often acquire rhubarb plants from another gardener who is dividing a large plant.

Choosing rhubarb varieties Different varieties have varying levels of sourness and fibrousness. Varieties also vary in color from almost pure green to almost pure red. Usually the skin is more or less red, while the flesh color varies from pale to darker green. Color does not cause any specific flavors. Redder varieties are desirable for pies, because the color of the filling is more attractive than the grayish color of cooked green varieties.

Plant stature and vigor also vary among varieties. In general, greener varieties are more vigorous and have longer stalks than red varieties. Rhubarb leaves are toxic. Do not eat them. Only the long, thick leaf petioles, the "stalks," are edible.

The stalks contain high levels of oxalic acid, which can tie up calcium and make it unavailable in the body. Eating an occasional dish containing rhubarb does not pose a serious nutritional threat. People with gout, kidney disorders and rheumatoid arthritis may want to avoid foods high in oxalic acid and should consult with their physicians about consuming these foods. How to keep your rhubarb plants healthy and productive. Planting Rhubarb plants are very large.

Starting seeds indoors and transplanting Start seed indoors six weeks before the last frost date for your area. Cover the seed lightly, keep moist and supply bottom heat to improve germination and seedling health. It may be two or three weeks before seedlings emerge. Harden plants off for at least a week before planting out in the garden.

Prepare the soil by tilling or forking to a depth of at least two feet, to allow the new plants to root easily. Add plenty of garden and kitchen compost or composted manure to increase organic matter, improve drainage and supply nutrients. It is best to prepare the soil and let it settle for a few days before planting, so that newly set plants do not end up too deep. Plant seedlings, divisions from a neighbor's garden and plants bought in pots at garden centers at the same depth they are growing in the pot.

Plant bare-root plants bought through the mail with the crown of the plant just level with the soil. Water well after planting. Watering Proper watering will help rhubarb growth. Controlling weeds A giant rhubarb plant can be a strong competitor against weeds.

While the plant is establishing itself during the first year or two, keep weeds controlled by hoeing or hand pulling. Frequent, shallow cultivation will kill weeds before they become a problem.

Be careful not to damage the plants when cultivating. Keep your tool away from the plant itself. Continue watering and weeding all summer long even after harvest.

The plants can live fifteen or more years with good care. Dividing The rhubarb plant will produce the next year's buds at the outer edges of its crown. Insects Insect pests are generally not a problem on rhubarb. Rhubarb curculio is a dark-colored, snouted beetle about one-half to three-fourths of an inch long.

It can bore holes into the crown and stalks. Stalk borers may cause similar problems as rhubarb curculio. Control them by removing nearby grassy weeds and curly dock, a weed that is the normal host for rhubarb curculio. Diseases Planting rhubarb in a sunny, well-drained site is important to avoid infection by soil-dwelling pathogens.