Rhubarb Flowers - Seedpods What to do With The Rhubarb Flower / Seedpods If you notice rhubarb flowers, or rhubarb seedpods coming up on stalks from between the leaves of your rhubarb plants this Spring, here is what to do with that large flower The flower head that comes up from rhubarb plants should be removed immediately when you first observe it. This flower or seedpod usually comes up in the springtime. These stalks do not usually grow on younger plants, but are common on plants that are 3 or more years older. Some varieties are more likely to flower than others. The plants may produce more than one stalk, so cut them out each time you see a flower develop. Many people contact me and ask if it is okay to harvest and eat the rhubarb after it has flowered. The answer to this question is YES, simply remove and discard the flower/seed pod stalk, and pick the remaining rhubarb stalks as you normally would. To maintain and ensure the highest quality and maximum yield from your rhubarb garden, it is important that the plants not be allowed to go to seed. The reason for this is, that, if the plant is left to allow the flower to go to seed, the plant devotes its energy to the seed production, and the development of leaf stalks is hindered. Using pruning shears, cut the flower stalk as close as possible to the main plant at the base, and discard it. If you do not cut the flower stalk off as low as possible, it may begin to rot and provide a home to slugs and other insects which may in turn damage the rhubarb plants.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 21:40:07 +0000
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