Comments
"I like the juice with the addition of a vanilla pod and some fresh ginger at the cooling down stage. Yum Yum..."
Geoffrey on Saturday 1 May 2010
"Great idea, G, I will try it today! Forgot to mention...If I have them, I often add a few frozen blueberries or raspberries to give the rhubarb drink a nice, rosy color. "
Barbara Pleasant on Saturday 1 May 2010
"Thanks for the informative article. I have been waiting for several weeks for the stalks to turn red. I did not know that some stay green. I planted two last year and they are about 2 feet apart. Looks like I will have more than we need."
Gael Squibb on Friday 7 May 2010
"Is it true you should not harvest rhubarb in its first year even if it has come from a mature plant?"
Sharon on Friday 7 May 2010
"My favorite combination pie is cherry-rhubarb, probably because my two favorite pies are cherry and rhubarb. I like the texture better than the strawberry, no seeds. The rhubarb freezes well and I can make pies all year long. When using frozen rhubarb I cook the filling in the microwave until it first starts to thicken, so it doesn't take so long to bake and the crust doesn't get soggy."
J Taylor on Saturday 8 May 2010
"Sharon, yes you shouldn't harvest rhubarb in the first year after you have transplanted it or have split the root system so that the plant can put all it's energy into establishing a good root system. However, if you find any stems rotting towards the end of the season they should be removed and placed on the compost heap. Last year I dug up my rhubarb, split the root in half with a spade, replanted it with some new compost and didn't pick any stems. This year it is doing very well as a result."
Jeremy Dore on Saturday 8 May 2010
"Hi Great tipsI love making rhubard Crumble.Your tip for preventing hot flushes (for my wife, not me) - what do you class as an extract please?"
Rob on Saturday 8 May 2010
"Thanks for mentioning the rhubarb flowers. I have grown rhubarb in previous gardens and don't ever remember it flowering the way my present plants do. They're huge!!Like cauliflowers on sticks!! Didn't quite know what I was supposed to do with them but sheer luck - I cut them off and composted them as you said, Barbara. "
Sue on Sunday 9 May 2010
"Are they any good in pots? I have got mine in large pots and they are throwing up leaves but no stalks, bearing in mind this is their first year. Should i wait until next year or replant them in the garden? Any advice?"
Mandy on Sunday 9 May 2010
"Here it is the ultimate crumble recipie:http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/strawberry-rhubarb-crumble-recipe.html"
Geoffrey on Sunday 9 May 2010
"Mandy, I think the sooner your plants go into the garden the better, because rhubarb often takes a bit of time settling in. You will also find your plants easier to care for in the garden compared to a container, because you bascially will have to do nothing at all. "
Barbara Pleasant on Saturday 15 May 2010
"I planted 2 rhubarb plants last spring. I left them alone to mature, as recommended. I've been anticipating harvesting since the first green leaf appeared. The plants are doing great, but they had decided to flower. I was told that once the plants flower, that the stalks/fruit is no longer good to harvest or edible and that I should cut down all the stalks, discard, and basically start over. Is this true? Did my plants "expire" for harvesting?"
Kim Barry on Saturday 15 May 2010
"Kim, flowering does not make the stalks inedible. However, it weakens the plant so you may wish to harvest less to give the plant a chance to recover for next year."
Jeremy Dore on Tuesday 18 May 2010
"Last year, I found out that I shouldn't eat sugar - and I love rhubarb, which left me with a dilemma. There are 3 alternatives to sugar that I have found so far:1. Honey.2. Cook similar volumes of rhubarb and orange chunks together. There's no need to add any other sweetener.3. I bought some rhubarb and strawberry juice, which was delicious - again, no added sugar or sweeteners."
Julia Goodfellow-Smith on Monday 31 May 2010
"Rhubarb, a favorite of mine. I often make rhubarb chutney, raisins, nuts currents, ginger and more. I am anxious to make your recipe for rhubarb juice. thanks"
Gaia on Tuesday 20 July 2010
"Julia - have you heard of stevia? It's a natural sweetener you can grow yourself and it's 30% sweeter than sugar without calories."
cathy x. on Monday 2 August 2010
"Rhubarb custard pie is also really really good!"
kathy baumgart on Monday 7 May 2012
"Hello All: I like the updates/comments that I receive on subjects that I commented on So Long Ago.Nice to see these shared interests...Kathy's Rhubarb Custard Pie...I love...Cathy's Steva...I use it...and it grows well in pots...great for the waist line.Great Blog...Thanks"
Gaia on Tuesday 8 May 2012
"I have several plants. My stalks do not seem to get more than about 8-9 inches long. They use to get big before I transplanted the plant. They seem to flower right away also. In the past the flower was grown up out of the center now it is just right at the base of the plant. Never had issues with rhubarb before - not sure what the problem is."
Stacy on Wednesday 9 May 2012
"My plants don';t seem to get very big talks like my neighbors. The are about 12 inches long and about finger thick. hers are bout 3 feet long and two to three times as thick. do I need to fertilize or something. My rhubarb tastes great but not as much as she gets."
Linda on Saturday 2 June 2012
"Hello Cathy.. Your Steva? Whole I mentioned that it grows well in pots...this year I started a small Steva plant in a pot. As each new leaf is is forming...it is turning brown. I am following instructions, but to no avail. I am concerned that it will die away. What do you think the problem is? I will welcome any suggestions."
Gaia on Saturday 2 June 2012
"It is not unusual for rhubarb to show thrifty growth in the first year after transplanting. You can help them recover with a couple of applications of organic fertilizer and regular water. "
Barbara Pleasant on Sunday 3 June 2012
"my rhubarb keeps getting big leaves on the plant and my stems are very thin this is my first year."
mal burnside on Friday 3 August 2012
"One of my rhubarb plants is getting a bit large and I noticed that the stalks last year were thinner than in previous years. Therefore, I think the plant needs splitting. When is the best time of the year to do this?"
sue on Tuesday 19 February 2013
"Early spring, as soon as you see signs that the plants are emerging from dormancy, is the best time to dig and divide rhubarb. All perennial plants get a surge of growth in spring, which can go in part to establishing new roots."
Barbara Pleasant on Wednesday 20 February 2013
"Thanks Barbara. Does it matter if the plant is already sending up stalks with leaves? Is it too late now? I've been reluctant to divide the plant before now as it has been so cold and wet, and ground perpetually wet. This particular plant seems to start early and die off earlier than others in other allotments around me. "
Sue on Saturday 2 March 2013
"Sue, it's still early enough that the plants have plenty of growing power ahead. I would go ahead and lift and divide the slow plant."
Barbara Pleasant on Monday 4 March 2013
"Hi there. I am house sitting and I heard that ou shouldn't harvest rhubarb after June, so given it is July 1st, I thought it would be a great idea to harvest the whole plant. Yikes-I just heard that you are not supposed to do this. Have I just killed these people's lovely plans? Is there anything I can do to fix this mistake?"
KDow on Tuesday 2 July 2013
"Don't worry, the plants will grow back right away. They won't be as big, which is usually a good thing. You should peel the summer stalks and blanch the cut pieces by pouring boiling water over them in a heat-proof bowl or pot before cooking and eating them. Peeling and blanching helps remove excess oxalic acid from rhubarb harvested in summer. "
Barbara Pleasant on Tuesday 2 July 2013
"60 years ago, my Mother would always put about a gallon of chopped rhubarb with 1/4 cup of water and let simmer until soft. She would then add a large pkg of strawberry jello powder and stir it in. Now they make sugar-free jello. I also had a potted rhubarb that moved around the country with us for over 10 years. When we finally bought a house, it was planted in the ground and promptly died. "
Karen Kitt-Chapman on Tuesday 19 April 2016
"I love to see all the old comments...Thanks Everyone"
gaia on Thursday 21 April 2016
"This year my rhubarb doesn't stop growing, it's about 3 feet long and thick stems and prolific. As it is nearly September should I just leave it or pull off all the stalks?. We had a particularly hot summer and the rhubarb has never been so huge. There aren't any flowers on or appearing, just a great mass of rhubarb stalks and leaves that are literally taking over."
Daisy on Tuesday 21 August 2018
"Daisy, this happens often in many parts of the US. Sometimes rhubarb lies down flat in the summer heat, then comes back strong in the fall. You can use summer rhubarb stalks like those that come on in spring, but there is no need to harvest them unless you need them. "
Barbara Pleasant on Tuesday 21 August 2018
"I usually cut it up into two inch pieces and put in freezer but I still have some from last year! My main concern is what is better for the plant, i.e. whether it is better to be stripped down or just left to die down over the winter. By the way I was on holiday in Sorrento, southern Italy and interestingly no one knew what rhubarb was. I went on a farm tour and they were bragging about their wonderful fruit, etc. and they were surprised when I said 'and where's your rhubarb?'. They never heard of it!"
Daisy on Tuesday 21 August 2018
"My rhubarb seems to be dyeing out. What can I do to revitalize it? "
cyndie on Saturday 3 August 2019
"Cyndie, rhubarb often dies back in hot weather, and makes new growth in the fall. If that doesn't happen, you can rest assured that it will return in spring. "
Barbara Pleasant on Sunday 4 August 2019
"Rather than throwing the leaves away, offer them to local beekeepers. The oxalic acid in shredded leaves acts as a natural deterrent to mites. The leaves are harmless to bees, whereas a mite infestation can destroy a colony of bees. "
Kenneth Palmowski-Wolfe on Saturday 26 October 2019
"Hi, I am considering taking a supplement with Rhubarb Root in it, (100mg per tab) for cleansing and slimming properties and rumoured hot-flush remedy. It comes with a health warning. There seems to be conflicting information about whether this part of the plant is safe to consume. Can anyone clarify please? Thanks."
R on Wednesday 6 January 2021
"I am surprised no one has mentioned fertilizer of Horse manure in the fall, manure tea. I usually take a wheel barrow of good dense straw/ horse apples and cover the plant area in the fall.. in spring when the Muck pile has thawed, I remove it and scatter it across the rest of the garden.. giving the rhubarb lots of fresh air and a chance at some spring rain. "
Janice K on Friday 30 April 2021
