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Monty Don's Rhubarb

RainbowfishRainbowfish Posts: 276
in Plants

I have just got round to waching last week's Gardeners world.

Does anyone know what variety of Rhubarb Monty is growing?

Looks fantastic. Not sure it would fit in my tiny garden. Looks more prehistoric

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Hi Rainbowfish it is Gunnera manicata that Monty is growing. At least he'll have somewhere to shelter when it rains! image

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • RainbowfishRainbowfish Posts: 276

    Are you sure? It didn't look as large as gunnera. It did look like rhubarb and he called it rhubarb just didn't say the variety.

  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360

    Definitely rhubarb! He just said "it's the latest rhubarb we grow".

    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904

    I don't watch GW but Verdun recommended Stockbridge Arrow when I asked about rhubarb. It gets good write ups. 

  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360

    Grabbed a couple of screenshots:

    imageimage

    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,087

    Any edible rhubarb will grow well if you give it plenty of muck on the crown every autumn and moisture in spring when it's starting to grow again.   Some varieties have better flavour than others but that's a personal thing.

    Mine is huge this year too because of the mild winter and all the rain we've had lately.

    Last edited: 09 June 2016 22:51:00

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    I asked the BBC and they told me it was Gunnera manicata in Monty's programme and it is edible.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,087

    Gunnera manicata is an ornamental rhubarb form South America.  It's leaves are tough and leathery and rough textured, like ornamental rheum and it needs to be grown where the soil is moist - pond margins and bogs - and where it is protected from heavy frosts.

    The photo above is of edible rhubarb growing in his veggie plot.

    Here is info with photos of ornamental rhubarb and gunnera so you can see the differences - http://www.rhubarb-central.com/ornamental-rhubarb.html

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • dsmith2979dsmith2979 Posts: 2

    Gunnera is nothing to do with Rhubarb and is not edible.  The biggest leaf in the whole world.

    But, why the devil did Monty not tell us the name of the giant rhubarb he is growing which would feed a family for a week with one stalk. A family full of rhubarb I guess.

    Last edited: 15 June 2016 14:42:39

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,087

    I think it's just ordinary rhubarb that has been well fed with a mulch of garden compost and/or manure and has then had a mild winter and a wet spring.

    Mine just got some ordinary compost from our heaps in late winter and is producing huge stalks and massive leaves.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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