Rhubarb seeds

torbrex

My rhubarb crown produces a stem at this time of year which has what look like seeds on it. I normally break it off and the crown continues to produce normal stems the rest of the year.

Is it possible to harvest the seeds and plant them to produce more crowns or is it more bother than is worth?

tomterm8

torbrex wrote: »

My rhubarb crown produces a stem at this time of year which has what look like seeds on it. I normally break it off and the crown continues to produce normal stems the rest of the year.

Is it possible to harvest the seeds and plant them to produce more crowns or is it more bother than is worth?

You can, yes, but it will sap the strength out of your crowns. You're much better off propagating by devision. A normal three/four year old rhubarb crown has four or more buds (places where the stems come from in spring), and each bud will form a new plant.

In practice, I don't think most people need more than five plants anyway; we have 13, but we have a plan to make Rhubarb wine at some stage.

katskorner

My Dad splits his as described above and regularly creates new plants but has never done it from seed.

Morty_007

Hi all, my rhubarb plant has stopped producing stalks and has produced a flower head (looks a bit like a broccoli floret). It's the 2nd year and I haven't harvested anything from it yet. Is the flower head a problem? Is the plant ruined? Will it ever be the same again? Please help with some advice.
Thanks in advance
Morty

tanith

You are supposed to cut the flowers out as soon as possible if you want to harvest some of your rhubarb, the flowers take too much energy out of the plant and you won't get many good sticks if you leave it in...

ViksB

We have three rhubarb plants and one of them always goes to seed. We think it is because it is much drier than the other 2 plants, but whatever the reason, you need to remove the seed heads when they form, the plant will be fine if you keep doing this.

Farway

Morty_007 wrote: »

Hi all, my rhubarb plant has stopped producing stalks and has produced a flower head (looks a bit like a broccoli floret). It's the 2nd year and I haven't harvested anything from it yet. Is the flower head a problem? Is the plant ruined? Will it ever be the same again? Please help with some advice.
Thanks in advance
Morty

I don't know whre you are, but it seems very early for this, have you been forcing it, or is it in greenhouse or something?

Mine, and others around her [Hampshire] are only just showing growth, which makes me wonder about yours

tanith

Farway I have an elderly friend in Milton Keynes who has been picking short Rhubarb sticks for a couple of weeks now..... its outside and not sheltered...

looby-loo_2

Rhubarb yoghurt - yummy!

torbrex

Farway wrote: »

I don't know whre you are, but it seems very early for this, have you been forcing it, or is it in greenhouse or something?

Mine, and others around her [Hampshire] are only just showing growth, which makes me wonder about yours

I have an early variety that produces a flower stalk on one or more of the plants by this time every year, I just remove it and the plants go on to produce lovely stalks right up until August.
I also have a late cropping plant that is only just starting to produce stalks now, it has never had a flower stalk and the ones that are produced can be as thick as my forearm and make terrific jam.

Fern_Merkin

Take off the flower then water it well. Then water it again. Then water it. Again.

They love it very wet and dryness will prompt the plant to make seed that may get a better aspect waterwise.

If you have a naturally wetter part of the garden consider moving it but still water well after the move for the rest of the year till it's settled.

If it's a busy clump split it as there may be too much competition for water/space.

Fx