This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Monday 7 April 2014

Rhubarb race continues

Photo above and below: shows approx 5 weeks growing difference.
I'm eagerly watching the rhubarb to see how it's growing (and wanting to harvest). This year I made a new rhubarb bed made up of four mature rhubarb pieces from other plants. Two pieces from my own 'dug and divided' plant, and two given to me by one of the garden group members. I should have taken a photo of the giant root system on the rhubarb when I dug it up - the size of a tree trunk. Rhubarb is quite easy to divide - just stick a spade through and slice it into pieces!



Above: I'm trying to force rhubarb (hurry up its growth) by putting a pot over it. And underneath the clay pot....
A small stalk emerging (as well as several slugs hiding). This is the rhubarb given to me in January by a garden group member. It is much slower to grow; I assume as it was put into the ground quite late (in January). Hopefully it will give me a later harvest.

Stewed rhubarb and ice cream will soon be on the menu!

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

10 comments:

  1. Oh good luck, I'm cutting mine next week for a crumble after Easter Sunday lunch. The first crumble of the season. Mmmmmm.

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  2. I've got my mum and dad coming for dinner on Sunday so I'm hoping to harvest some rhubarb by then in order to make a pie or a crumble. There's a big patch of it on my new plot so I should have some good harvests this year.

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  3. Healthy looking rhubarb. We moved ours last year. I only have one plant because. O one here really like rhubarb. For me, it brings back sweet childhood memories. And I like it. Hubby dig a very deep and large hole around the plant to get it all, but we could see roots-- large ones-- that he'd been severed. Now we have two plants growing. I did not realize how big a root system it has.

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  4. The rhubarb shoots look so interesting. Maybe I should try grow it on my garden

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  5. Looks like your Rhubarb is doing nicely Kelli, and I know you are ready for one of your favorites.

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  6. I always thought all rhubarb was the same but some varieties produce a much earlier crop than others. Our Timperley early produces our first crop and was ready late March this year. Yours is looking good though.

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  7. Does light coming through the hole in the pot affect it.

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  8. Hi Sue, you might be right. Light coming through the hole may prevent quick growth. I've never forced rhubarb before so will have to do comparison tests.

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  9. Hi Kelli,
    I love Rhubarb and grew it for quite a while but, alas, I'm the only one in my family who likes it so I gave the plants away......if I made anything with Rhubarb, I was the only one eating it!
    Side note: When I was a kid, my best friend and I would sit in her yard and the raw Rhubarb with nothing on it! My jaw clenches shut at the thought of it!
    Happy Gardening!

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