Rhubarb - how many stalks?

[Binkalette]

How many stalks can I harvest off my rhubarb with out hurting it's chances of coming back next year? It was planted last spring, I didn't harvest any off of it last year and it is coming back nicely this spring. What do you think?

[rainbowgardener]

They generally say don't harvest any the first year, only harvest for two weeks the second year, taking two stems per plant, leaving at least five healthy stems. In following seasons, then after that you can harvest through spring and early summer, taking 4 stems per plant, as long as you leave a similar amount.

[FailedSlacker]

After three years, you can harvest up to a third of the plant at a time. We usually leave two weeks between harvests if we're doing the third thing.

Since our two plants feed about 8 different households, our rule of thumb when harvesting is to only grab stalks thicker than your thumb. There's enough thinner ones developing that we don't have to worry about keeping tabs with how much everyone has grabbed recently.

[applestar]

Aside from rhubarb and strawberry pie, what do you use rhubarb for?

[rainbowgardener]

That's a little like saying other than nectar of the gods, what do you use ambrosia for? What else do you need than the most wonderful dessert of all time?

But in case you do need something else, check this out:

http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/recipe-index.html

rhubarb pudding, custard, sauce, drinks, jam and jelly, cookies, breads, salad dressings (!), cobblers, muffins ..... I haven't tried it yet (my rhubarb is now in it's third season, so hopefully I can harvest more this year), but a friend gave me some wonderful rhubarb jelly.

[DoubleDogFarm]

What else do you need than the most wonderful dessert of all time?

Marrionberries

[cynthia_h]

My largest rhubarb plant has decided to torment me this year.

It has grown the most beautiful, large, velvety and deeply colored...leaves. Stems? I should want to harvest stems???

No dice. This plant is only interested in producing leaves. Yes, the leaves *do* emerge from stems, but the stems are only 3" or 4" long (I parted the leaves just to check). Not much food there, except for the compost pile, as the leaves expire.

I didn't give this plant any nitrogen boosts during the winter; in fact, the only "extras" it's received since transplantation last September, which was a desperate bid to save its life (and the lives of my three other rhubarb plants), was some compost mixed into the large (18" or 20" across, maybe 18" deep, a tapered round container) container it lives in and a little more compost on the surface of the soil in October.

It lives along the south wall of the house (north side of driveway) and receives good sun and rain. I supplement the water if the eaves have restricted the plant's access to rain.

So I guess I'll purchase rhubarb again this year...$3.99 a pound it is, even at my local produce store. But I'd so much rather buy from him than the chain supermarkets.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[applestar]

I went to the farmer's market where I almost bought rhubarb plants last year. The woman thought she still had some, but when she went to see, they were gone. Well, this time, she said I was too early. She took my name and number and will call when they come in.

But! Now I'm not so sure I want them from her....
The thing is, when you grow from seed, you get spoiled. You make detailed study of the variety -- size, color, days to maturity, disease resistance, etc. When I walked around the market, I realized that all veg plants were simply labeled "tomato", "broccoli", "cabbage". Well OK they had "roma tomato" and "red cabbage". Likewise, the woman only knows she's getting "rhubarb".

Annual vegs are one thing, but we're talking rhubarb here. They're going to be in my garden for years. Look at this other thread on rhubarb.

Maybe I should just order from an on-line source afterall....
Right now, I'm leaning towards "Valentine" or "Red Valentine".
(Thanks for that rhubarb link, rainbowgardener! ).

[DoubleDogFarm]

But! Now I'm not so sure I want them from her....
The thing is, when you grow from seed, you get spoiled. You make detailed study of the variety -- size, color, days to maturity, disease resistance, etc. When I walked around the market, I realized that all veg plants were simply labeled "tomato", "broccoli", "cabbage". Well OK they had "roma tomato" and "red cabbage". Likewise, the woman only knows she's getting "rhubarb".

That's terrible labeling. You need to come over to my booth.

Some of the vegetables I sold today.

Labeling
Broccoli, Thompson, OP-70
Swiss Chard, Bright Lights OP-60
Tomato, Siletz, OP-70-75
Tomato, Legend, OP-68
Tomattillo, Mexican Strain, OP-65

Just to name a few.

Most of the vendors here, have good labeling. If I saw a tomato that just said tomato, I'd be walking away too. There are hundreds of tomatoes, dozens of red cabbages, etc...........

[The Helpful Gardener]

There is always the time tested tradition of asking someone you know if you can have starts off of theirs...

HG

[rainbowgardener]

That's how I got mine! But the trouble is the relative I got it from didn't know what kind of rhubarb she was growing, so I don't know what kind mine is either!

[JONA878]

That big old chestnut.............rhubarb...is it a fruit or a veg?

I guess strictly a veg , but it is only ever used as a fruit.

Jona.

[mtmickey]

I'm so sorry to hear some of you have such trouble with rhubarb. It grows like a weed where we live. My MIL has a monstrous plant that we basically "savage" every year and it just comes back stronger the next. Ours is going like gangbusters this year (2nd year in the ground) and I'm sure we'll get quite a harvest from it.

Another thing that is fabulous to use rhubarb for.....Rhubarb Wine...my favorite.

[The Helpful Gardener]

It likes it cooler rather than hotter; our Connecticut weather seems just right for it as I have never seen a clump that didn't get huge here. Most of the time someone is trying to foist off a clump on somebody else...

The wife says she doesn't want any as she won't use it. I say she's nuts, and I am getting a clump from my friend Richard next time he asks...

HG

[kgall]

When I lived with my parents we had rhubarb we couldn't kill! One year my Dad decided he had had it and he just mowed over it all year. The next year I mowed around it..(I couldn't see killing anything) It was monstrous! I couldn't believe the size of it!
Dad eventually dug it out and got rid of it. But he obviously was paying attention to me...To this day when he mows you will find random clumps of daisy in the middle of the lawn that he has mowed around! I love that man!