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Sourcing rhubarb for cropping ASAP?

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  • Sourcing rhubarb for cropping ASAP?

    Looking for rhubarb for a corner of our large garden. I don't know much about the varieties but I want a low maintenance plant, no forcing etc.

    All the options I've seen online are small plants or crown pieces which expect to crop 1.5-2 years.
    I have friends with established plants, if they were willing to donate would I get a crop sooner or does rhubarb just need a bit of time to get established, before then going crazy and taking over the garden?!

  • #2
    Hi. It is a little bit late if you're hoping for a crop this year, but it depends on what your friends give you: If it is an established plant, and you can get it planted very soon, you might get some stalks off it this summer. If it is a crown division you'd be wiser to take none off it until next year.
    A couple of tips: rhubarb is low maintenance once it's planted; but when you plant it, do so with some manure or compost, and a feed of blood fish and bone or similar. And when you harvest don't strip the plant or you will weaken it - only take about half of the stalks at any one time.

    Good luck!

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Paulie View Post
      Hi. It is a little bit late if you're hoping for a crop this year, but it depends on what your friends give you: If it is an established plant, and you can get it planted very soon, you might get some stalks off it this summer. If it is a crown division you'd be wiser to take none off it until next year.
      A couple of tips: rhubarb is low maintenance once it's planted; but when you plant it, do so with some manure or compost, and a feed of blood fish and bone or similar. And when you harvest don't strip the plant or you will weaken it - only take about half of the stalks at any one time.

      Good luck!
      Sorry, I neglected to answer your last query: no, it won't go crazy and take over your garden - it is quite tame!

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      • #4
        Most of the relevant points have already been covered very well by Paulie. I'd just add that taking a big piece from the outside of an existing rhubarb plant is best - if its large enough that you need a wheelbarrow to move it, so much the better. Secondly make sure that the ground you plant it in is completely clear of perennial weeds - you can't remove couch grass or ground elder from rhubarb plants once they're settled in, and the plant will stay in place for 20 years or more.

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        • #5
          Thanks for the tips. Certainly any shop-bought part is going to be fairly small so I'll see if I can source any closer to home. If I have to wait then so be it, I suppose I thought it seemed ages but really it's just 1 crop (this year) I'd be missing.

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          • #6
            To be honest I'd go for a variety you know you will enjoy.
            Colours of stems vary from red to green, some are more stringy and some are sweeter/more flavoursome. Some of mine seem to be larger plants than others.

            If you are buying a young plant see if you can source one which sounds more to your taste rather than one easily available.
            Better still maybe buy 2different varieties if you have space?
            "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

            Location....Normandy France

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            • #7
              I've no idea what variety I enjoy, I've always just had "rhubarb" either in a pie or crumble, or we've bought it from Tesco and not checked the variety the same way we might with apples.

              We would be using it for pies and jam-making predominantly (might throw some in to brewing experiments too). I'd rather not have a stringy variety otherwise not too fussed - any recommendations?

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              • #8
                Ask a friend who wants to split plants to give you some rhubarb this year? If it's a big plant to be split then it'll produce loads.
                Last edited by alldigging; 01-02-2018, 11:16 AM.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by d000hg View Post
                  I've no idea what variety I enjoy, I've always just had "rhubarb" either in a pie or crumble, or we've bought it from Tesco and not checked the variety the same way we might with apples.

                  We would be using it for pies and jam-making predominantly (might throw some in to brewing experiments too). I'd rather not have a stringy variety otherwise not too fussed - any recommendations?
                  Timperley Early is a famous old variety - I see various traders are offering it for sale on a well-known auction site ;-)

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                  • #10
                    ^^^^nice colour too!
                    "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

                    Location....Normandy France

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      We grow Timperley early and I think the other is Victoria. We like both, the Timperley arrives a little before the Victoria. If you change your mind in the future and fancy giving forcing a go Timperley is the one to go for. To really extend your cropping period there is a variety called livingstone which is supposedly autumn cropping although I've no experience of it. I use the freezer to get rhubarb in winter.

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