Irish homeowners have been given a warning over a common household item after days of hard freezing and heavy snows.
Gardeners who have rhubarb in their plots have been told not to harvest the plant during its first season after planting. Most types of rhubarb can be harvested from late April or May and will continue to flourish throughout the summer. However, it’s essential to let the plants establish a strong root system and properly settle in your garden by avoiding harvesting in the first season after planting.
The first year is crucial for the underground development of the rhubarb plant. Gardeners should only lightly harvest in the second season to avoid weakening the crowns.
If you’re eager for an early harvest of tender and pink rhubarb, you can use the ‘forcing’ method by covering the crowns in December or January with a layer of straw or bracken and cover over with an upturned bucket or dustbin in mid-winter to exclude light. Those who do this should ensure they don’t pull the crowns for the rest of the season.
The ‘forcing’ method helps produce sweeter, more tender stalks in around just four weeks. Rhubarb varieties like ‘Timperley Early’ are ideal for forcing, according to the Express.
For those keen for an even earlier harvest, some roots can be lifted in November. To do this, leave the lifted roots outside for up to two weeks before potting to expose them to more cold – this is needed to overcome dormancy – as Rhubarb requires seven to nine weeks of cold weather below 3C.
Next, move the rhubarb into a pot filled with compost and place it in a cool room or greenhouse where the temperature is between 7-16C. Cover the rhubarb with buckets to keep out light and make sure the roots stay damp but not waterlogged.
Usually, the stalks are ready to be picked in around five weeks. However, gardeners are warned that crowns forced in this way tend to be significantly weakened and are often thrown away after harvest.
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