I've just read that "local" June-bearing strawberry plants should have ripe berries, about June 1st. Imagine that!
I'm sure we won't wait that long for a pie! Just the rhubarb, sugar, a little flour, and tapioca. Maybe we should do that tomorrow morning! Might be the last cool morning for firing up the oven for this week!
Steve have broken a dozen flowers off the plants and see a couple more!
I had to break off a bunch of flowers too. I thought it was odd. I usually see a couple later on, but this had 10 or more! I also dug up some crowns from the neighbor and they also have 3 or 4 flowers already. Is it because of the weather? My DD, made rhubarb bread and rhubarb custard bars. The custard bars were good and the bread was pretty good.
Mine are on their second year. I lost 4 out of 6 plants over the winter, but I suspect it had more to do with the crowns rotting in my clay soil than the cold (I did amend, but no help.) I moved the remaining two into my front of the house landscaping where the sandy backfill soil plus the good stuff I added to it provides better drainage. Can't wait to get that first harvest! Guess I'll have to try the farmer's market if I hope for pie this year.
I have one variety of rhubarb that sends up flower stalks right along with the developing leaves every year. It is NOT my favorite. My other three varieties are better behaved, but a tad slower to grow those big, tasty stems.
It shouldn't be long and I'll be having to harvest the rhubarb, too.