Rhubarb bolting

Discussion in 'Fruit and Veg Gardening' started by Zigs, Apr 28, 2022.

  1. Zigs

    Zigs Young Pine

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    Been growing Rhubarb most of my life, even had a few prizes for it. Seen one or two plants go to seed in the past. But this year nearly all of it has bolted :eek:

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    I know I didn't water as often as I could have last summer, but it wasn't really any drier than it usually is in this part of Kent.

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    Anyone else had the same thing this year?
     
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  3. Daniel W

    Daniel W Hardy Maple

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    @Zigs, That's a handsome rhubarb plant!

    The variety "Victoria" bloomed for me many times. Now I have a shorter, thicker stem, very red stem variety I don't know the name. It's bloomed too. I cut off the flower stem to concentrate photosynthetic energy into the root for next year's leaves.

    Yum, rhubarb pie! Rhubarb syrup! Rhubarb jam!
     
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  4. Odif

    Odif Young Pine

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    My rhubarb bolts every year. I just pull off the flower stems as soon as they appear.
     
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  5. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    My rhubarb is stunted this year because of the weather. Hopefully now that we have some sunshine it will begin to shoot up.
     
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  6. Shawchert

    Shawchert In Flower

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    those are beautiful plants. I have never grown this before, but my great aunt did and she made strawberry rhubarb pie, she would get strawberries and rhubarb from the garden. I only had it once when I was visiting them when i was 12 or so.
     
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  7. Daniel W

    Daniel W Hardy Maple

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    This is a rhubarb divisions that I made last year, then moved again this winter. I fed it with some vegetable fertilizer.

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    This is one of the original bunches. Soon it will be ready for some harvest!

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. Tetters

    Tetters Young Pine

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    Zigs put some of his rhubarb in my white/pink flower bed. It is also bolting. I shall leave it for the flowers :scheming: -[​IMG] and heaven help him if he cuts off the flowers :setf_032:
     
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  9. Zigs

    Zigs Young Pine

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    Yours is meant to bolt :D

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  10. Zigs

    Zigs Young Pine

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    Ta @Daniel W :)

    Most of mine are Victoria, but there's a few Glaskin's Perpetual, Champagne and some Russian Giants in there.

    Not too impressed with the Russian Giants :suspicious:

     
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  11. Tetters

    Tetters Young Pine

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    :rolleyes: He comes up with stuff like that all the time :rolleyes:
     
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  12. Daniel W

    Daniel W Hardy Maple

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    Those rhubarb flowers are quite interesting. I think they are what some people call "architectural". I remove them because of my selfish interest in eating more rhubarb.:setc_008:
     
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  13. Tetters

    Tetters Young Pine

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    I also love to eat rhubarb, especially with ginger, but we do have quite a few plants, and I like the flowers for the plant on my flower bed. It is definitely what I'd call architectural :headbang:
     
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  14. Logan

    Logan Strong Ash

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    Mine always bolts but it's very late this year, can still use the rest of the stems.
     
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  15. Odif

    Odif Young Pine

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    Do rhubarb plants die after flowering?
     
  16. Daniel W

    Daniel W Hardy Maple

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    Mine never have. They grow just fine, but I think the big flower stem and flowers reduce energy that would go into making the next crop.
     
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