Forcing Rhubarb

Описание: Have you ever tried forcing rhubarb? You’ll not only get an earlier harvest but the stalks or petioles will be milder in flavor as stored sugars are concentrated in them instead of the leaves. Due to blocked sunlight, the leaves will be pale, but look at how gorgeous the reddish-pink petioles are! (Leaves are toxic!) We usually start to force rhubarb in the Pacific Northwest in January-February and are harvested in March-April.

✳️It’s best to wait for your plants to establish before forcing them to grow. Newly planted rhubarb is usually harvested in the second season. If you’d like to force it, it’s a good idea to wait till the third year.

✅ Place a tall pot over the crowns as shown, (30-36 inches tall). Cover any holes to prevent light from entering. Covering the crowns will also create a microclimate inside, warming up the soil and waking the buds from dormancy.

☀️Plants cannot photosynthesize without sunlight, therefore the stalks stretch in search of light and the foliage remains a light color. (Phototropism: Direction of plant growth in response to a light source)

✅ Keep the crowns covered for 7-8 weeks. Harvest the stalks when they’re about 8-12 inches long. Compost the leaves as they’re not edible and contain a significant amount of oxalic acid which can make people ill.

✅ Allow your plant to regenerate for the remainder of the year and store energy for next year’s harvest. It’s a good idea to grow multiple plants to alternate forcing them every other year and harvest throughout the season.

🌱This variety is called Victoria. When planting rhubarb, space each plant 4-6 feet apart.

Happy Gardening!💚

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