My other half makes sloe gin each year; he freezes the sloes overnight to make it easier to break the skins and, having learnt the trick from the person who won last year's sloe gin tasting competition (of 14 entries or so), freezing also gives a better flavour!
The plant will die down over winter. It doesn't need protecting over winter. Rhubarb comes from Siberia. But mulching with well rotted manure is good. It will start to grow new stems in the spring. If you want to force it to produce an early crop you can place a forcing pot/ old chimney/ upturned bucket over the crown after Christmas. This will encourage earlier pinker and more tender stems.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi Obelixx, I have a one year old rhubarb plant which has grown big leaves on thick stems, but I read that you shouldn't pick one year old rhubarb? So I'm a bit confused.
Do I just leave them to rot down or should I pick them to eat ?
Leave them on the plant, they will die down and the nutrition/energy in them will go back into the crown to give it the energy to survive the winter, grow again next spring even larger and ready for you to have your first crop.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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My other half makes sloe gin each year; he freezes the sloes overnight to make it easier to break the skins and, having learnt the trick from the person who won last year's sloe gin tasting competition (of 14 entries or so), freezing also gives a better flavour!
Will tell he who thinks he should be obeyed about the freezing. Havent gone to New Forest this year and all the local trees are always stripped bare.
I know we have to stop picking rhubarb mid July but when can we start picking again and do I need to protect the plant over winter? Thanks
The plant will die down over winter. It doesn't need protecting over winter. Rhubarb comes from Siberia. But mulching with well rotted manure is good. It will start to grow new stems in the spring. If you want to force it to produce an early crop you can place a forcing pot/ old chimney/ upturned bucket over the crown after Christmas. This will encourage earlier pinker and more tender stems.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi Obelixx, I have a one year old rhubarb plant which has grown big leaves on thick stems, but I read that you shouldn't pick one year old rhubarb? So I'm a bit confused.
Do I just leave them to rot down or should I pick them to eat ?
Leave them on the plant, they will die down and the nutrition/energy in them will go back into the crown to give it the energy to survive the winter, grow again next spring even larger and ready for you to have your first crop.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.