Its flowering, cut that stem out completely as it will be taking all the energy you want for the stalks. They do this if they are stressed for any reason..too dry/wet/whatever!! I assume it will have been well mulched with compost/horse manure....
It is the flowers. As a couple of side notes of differentiation, I let the plants flower as the bees love those flowers - although I find them to have a mildly unpleasant smell. They will self seed if you allow them too and after a short while you get new varieties of rhubarb popping up in your garden that are well adapted to your soils and climate. I have more than 30 but perhaps less than 40 of these plants growing and they are as tough as old boots. All of them taste good too, and I stew the stalks into a mash and chuck that in my winter breakfast muesli.
Interesting comment from Chris at Fernglade Farm.... our newly planted rhubarb put up a flower head last year but I cut the stem out thinking that it would stop the plant from growing, but I like the thought that by leaving the flower head alone we would have plants for the future.
This is one of 3 plants, the largest, and I´m the only one who will eat rhubarb so I haven´t decided whether to cut off the stalk or not. It´s still raining, so I´m still thinking.
Its flowering, cut that stem out completely as it will be taking all the energy you want for the stalks. They do this if they are stressed for any reason..too dry/wet/whatever!!
ReplyDeleteI assume it will have been well mulched with compost/horse manure....
Hi Coco,
ReplyDeleteIt is the flowers. As a couple of side notes of differentiation, I let the plants flower as the bees love those flowers - although I find them to have a mildly unpleasant smell. They will self seed if you allow them too and after a short while you get new varieties of rhubarb popping up in your garden that are well adapted to your soils and climate. I have more than 30 but perhaps less than 40 of these plants growing and they are as tough as old boots. All of them taste good too, and I stew the stalks into a mash and chuck that in my winter breakfast muesli.
How cool are plants?
Chris
Thanks GZ and Chris! I haven´t seen a rhubarb flower in my life! Go figure.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comment from Chris at Fernglade Farm.... our newly planted rhubarb put up a flower head last year but I cut the stem out thinking that it would stop the plant from growing, but I like the thought that by leaving the flower head alone we would have plants for the future.
ReplyDeleteHi Vera,
ReplyDeleteThis is one of 3 plants, the largest, and I´m the only one who will eat rhubarb so I haven´t decided whether to cut off the stalk or not. It´s still raining, so I´m still thinking.