Flower forming on my rhubarb!!

[lesa]

Wow- what a neat looking thing. It looks like it is related to the plant on "Little Shop of Horrors!" I guess I am supposed to cut it off, so the plant will spend more energy on leaves? I have two plants- both are budding. I think I will let one develop, just to see what it looks like!

 

[Collector]

We have just planted a couple rhubarb plants 2 weeks ago so no action yet.
Do they flower every year?

 

[lesa]

I have had these plants in the ground for about 5 years. I took them off my Mom's plant- 20 some years old. It seems only the "mature" plants flower... I never saw a flower on Mom's though. I harvested a lot of rhubarb last year (still have a bunch in the freezer), I thought maybe that had something to do with it.
Good luck with yours, Collector!

 

[wifezilla]

Yup, cut that stalk down to keep it producing more leaves.

 

[silkiechicken]

They aren't spectacular or anything... might as well lop it off. Mine tries to flower every year, and I lop it off as soon as i see it. The plant it self is about 10, which came from a parent plant that was well over 10 at the time the chunk of root I have was taken.

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, best to lop it off before it gets any bigger, just saps the plant's strength (unless you have way too much rhubarb to begin with, and just enjoy the oddity of the flower )

Oftentimes flowering is a sign that it's gettin around time to divide the plant one of these days; if you go too long without doing that it can start to decline. (It is not like an emergency or anything; but maybe next year when it first starts to poke its nose aboveground you might consider digging it up and doing something)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[thistlebloom]

Rhubarb should be divided about every four years. Dig up the whole crown early in the spring and it will easily show dividable sections.
My old plant got sacrificed for a building project late last summer, but my new one that I put in my regular garden as a replacement has already tripled it's girth from last year.

 

[lesa]

Thanks for all the info! Okay, I guess next spring it will time to find a place for some more rhubarb plants!!

 

[Jared77]

Regarding rhubarb...

unless you have way too much rhubarb to begin with

There is no such thing.

Okay, I guess next spring it will time to find a place for some more rhubarb plants!!

Already have a place picked out for you Lesa here in the beautiful small town of Fowlerville Michigan

 

[sparks]

Birds love the flower seeds if you want to let one go to seed. I usually do because I have plenty.:tools