Rhubarb - when to pick/harvest?

torbrex

I ignore my rhubarb, never feed it, it is in the lee of a wall and only gets the sun for half a day, nothing else has ever grown in that area and I get a huge crop every year, I cant keep up with it.

Lotus-eater

Of course you can compost the rhubarb leaves, just don't eat them

carbbit

I pile chicken poop at the base of my rhubarb and it grows like a triffid

I shred the leaves and boil them up in an old pan with enough water to cover them. Then allow it to cool and strain. Bottle it into a spray bottle with a little squirt of washing up liquid and use it to spray aphids, black fly and any other general beasty. Works a treat; it terminates them instantly.

conradmum

LilacPixie wrote: »

I love Rubarb. Would it do well in a large pot or is it better in the ground??

It's far better off in the ground, preferably in an out of the way corner somewhere where it can be ignored. Mine's in permanent shade behind my greenhouse, is never fed or watered and grows like billyho.

The leaves are poisonous to eat but can be safely composted.

Lotus-eater

carbbit wrote: »

I shred the leaves and boil them up in an old pan with enough water to cover them. Then allow it to cool and strain. Bottle it into a spray bottle with a little squirt of washing up liquid and use it to spray aphids, black fly and any other general beasty. Works a treat; it terminates them instantly.

There is some info on here about that.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Rhubarb-Garden-Spray

It does say that you can only really use it for 24 hrs, although I suspect it would work longer than that, carbbit?

Don't eat the plants for 2 days and beware that this spray will kill anything, the good as well as the ugly, bees, ladybirds (and larve) and all, so make sure you do need to use it.

carbbit

Lotus-eater wrote: »

There is some info on here about that.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Rhubarb-Garden-Spray

It does say that you can only really use it for 24 hrs, although I suspect it would work longer than that, carbbit?

Don't eat the plants for 2 days and beware that this spray will kill anything, the good as well as the ugly, bees, ladybirds (and larve) and all, so make sure you do need to use it.

I only make it once or twice a year and keep it for the whole season, it still works. I just had a look at the link...I've never diluted it, eek! I tend to only use it on lupins. For some reason, this is the only plant that gets major attacks by aphids in my garden (and I grow a lot of soft fruit, veggies and flowers)

longforgotten

I know that the leaf is poisonous but do you eat all of the stick. I pulled off one of the longest sticks on the rhubarb and at the one end the flesh is white and, at what was the leafy end, it is green.... I assume its ok to eat but would it need more sugar

Lotus-eater

You eat all of it, I cut off the end nearest the leaf, about one inch away from the leaf. I cook it all together, so I've no idea if one end needs more sugar than the other.