Rhubarb and climber
Loz
Posts: 69
Good evening everyone! I have 2 problems I need advice with.....
I have rhubarb which I planted last year and thoroughly enjoyed eating too, this year however it seems to have bolted, is this normal and what should I do??
My other question is on a choice of climber. I have just had a new patio area laid which gets the sun for most of the day. I would like to plant a climber to hide a wall that's a bit of a mess, it faces west with quite strong sun for part of the day which also has a window on it. The plant would need to go in a pot. What would you experts recommend for this?
Please help!!
0
Posts
If the rhubarb has bolted, pull off the flowering stalk.
In a really sunny position I would put a jasmine or trachelospermum, but it would need a big pot and don't let it dry out.
Thank you fidgetbones, its the main stalk that has bolted so do I just chop it off. Will I still get the rhubarb this year?
Pull it like you would the rhubarb to eat. If you cut it rot could set in to the rootstock.
Re the rhubarb - I'm wondering if you harvested a bit too much last year inducing such an early flower-spike this year.
I planted a rhubarb crown last year and didn't harvest any of it, just mulched with FYM and let it build up the crown - then popped a forcing pot over it for the winter and have had some lovely pink stems this spring. - I won't pull any sticks after June this year and will give it another good mulching to feed it.
I suggest that you mulch yours and take very few if any stems this year and let it bulk up below ground - it will repay you next year.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Oh, I was quite disappointed when I read the original post title - I thought maybe Loz had a huge rhubarb she could grow a climber up!! However, it seems not - seemed a good idea - imagine the rhubarb crumbles!! I think indeed it may have been overcropped last year, and thinks it had better set seed before it dies - it will not die if you remove the seed head as the others have said, and leave it alone for a while.
Regarding the climber, how much space do you need to cover? Some of the bigger clematis montana are wonderful for that if there is the space, but they do get very, very large and heavy - we have 3 and they are about to flower, given a few hours sun - please! Climbing hydrangea is good too, needs help, it won't self cling to start with, but it a lovely plant. Some of the more vigourous climbing roses are good too - but much depends upon the area to cover and the angle - south, north or whatever.