The red stick

March 11, 2006

The red stick

I am, my friends, merely riding the rhubarb zeitgeist by posting this pic.

As Al from Anything But Sprouts has observed, the 'barb is suddenly trendy. Those of us with allotments have been loving it longtime, but you know how fickle the British media are.

And, yes, you can buy heirloom rhubarb seeds if you don't fancy doing what I did and stealing a lump of rhubarb root from an illegal compost heap ...

This specimen should come good this year, providing me with fools aplenty. And as I am the only one in my household who likes the stuff, it's mine, all mine, mwahahahahaha!

Top rhubarb harvest tip: grab the stick firmly near the base, then pull and twist at the same time, making sure the "collar" at the base of the stem comes away in its entirety (if it doesn't it'll rot). Whatever you do, don't cut.

11 Mar 2006 10:40:16 | Harvest time, Kitchen

6 Comments

I've been reading your blog for a while, and I love it! Just wondering - why don't cut?

Posted by: Lyco | March 11, 2006 at 03:12 PM

Hi Jane, what a great and interesting site you have created. I'm amazed at how informative you have been able to make it, especially with a busy job. I would appreciate your thoughts on my website that I have recently started, is it ok for me to add your site to my links?, thanks Steve.

Posted by: STEVE | March 11, 2006 at 07:57 PM

Lyco: any bits of rhubarb stem left in the crown (the centre of the plant at soil level) when you cut it will rot, and in turn rot the crown. The pull-and-twist technique ensures that you get the whole stem, so there's nothing left to rot.

Steve: Your site's great: I'll add your link to my blogroll. I am in awe at your plot - I can only describe it as hardcore! I'd be embarrassed to show you my plot at the moment: a combination of illness and book writing and work means it's in a right state ... but that's the glory of allotmenteering, it's never to late to perform a transformation (I hope!)

Posted by: Jane Perrone | March 12, 2006 at 09:59 AM

Awesome! Thanks for answering.

Posted by: Lyco | March 12, 2006 at 08:06 PM

Thankyou Jane, hope your feeling better now, Steve.

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Posted by: Sheila Topstone | August 04, 2006 at 06:53 AM

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