Rhubarb from seed

[kirsty b]

OH went fishing recently and returned with several armloads of huge rhubarb stalks and also some seeds that he took from a flower head on the rhubarb. My question is, how is the best way to get these seeds to germinate? He's quite taken with the idea of growing his own rhubarb plant.

Thanks guys
Kirsty

[dixeychick]

I've heard that rhubarb seeds are a little difficult & that they need stratifying to germinate. Sorry the info is a little sketchy, someone else may know more.

Rachel

[terrier]

Are you SURE it was Rhubarb and not the other stuff( I can't remember the name) that looks like rhubarb but much bigger and grows in damp places (along rivers!) that is POISONOUS. OH just told me she thinks it's called Butterburr (sp?)

[Madasafish]

I've grown rhubarb from seed this year. No different from anything else.. 10 seeds = 8 plants all in garden now (started off in propagator, then window then greenhouse, then coldframe then out). Stalks and leaves now approx 400mm long.
Expect to begin pulling (the stalks!:-) next year.

[bramble]

I grew it from seed 2 years ago and it was a big success.

[DFV]

I've tried growing two rhubarb varieties from seed (Victoria and Glaskins Perpetual). The more optimistic description (I think it was for the Glaskins) suggested that some rhubarb could be pulled in the second year after sowing. From the look of my plants after two years, it will be a bit longer before I'm making anything other than a very small rhubarb crumble!!
Best of luck.

I meant to say that I had no trouble getting the seed to germinate. About two weeks in a multi-purpose compost and they were growing nicely.

[shirlthegirl43]

OH went fishing recently and returned with several armloads of huge rhubarb stalks and also some seeds that he took from a flower head on the rhubarb. My question is, how is the best way to get these seeds to germinate? He's quite taken with the idea of growing his own rhubarb plant.

Thanks guys
Kirsty

Are you sure it is rhubarb? As terrier says, there is a plant which looks like massive rhubarb and it is extremely poisonous. Be careful.

[rustylady]

Only problem with gathered or saved seeds is that you have no idea what variety they are, or even if they will come true to type. If he is desperate to grow rhubarb from seed, I would advise buying a packet from the local garden centre. By the way the massive rhubarby looking stuff is called Gunnera, it thrives in damp places and doesn't even look edible!

[terrier]

... By the way the massive rhubarby looking stuff is called Gunnera, it thrives in damp places and doesn't even look edible!

'Gunnera'. Thanks RL. I couldn't remember the name but I think when it's young it looke a lot like Rhubarb. There's been a lot of poisoning cases where people walking along river banks/watery ditches have taken some of it home thinking it was edible. After saying that, I have a photo of when we were in a Scottish forest standing in front of a plant I presume was Gunnera but the largest leaves were about 10 foot across! It was amazing.

[kirsty b]

He found it set fairly far back from the river just outside the bottom of someone's garden. It was 2 plants, close together, he has cooked and eaten some with no ill effects but next year I plan to grow our own just to be absolutely sure!
Thanks for all the replies

Kirsty