Rhubarb: Remember to get the flowering heads OFF ASAP when you see
This is the first rhubarb variety I tried. It grew well, but sent up flower stalks very early in the season every year. I always cut them off to send more energy to the leaves, but that left mushy openings that rotted. The almost solid green stalks got very large and tough quickly. I ended up replacing it with the 'Crimson Red' variety.
Plant rhubarb roots in early spring. Seeds are not recommended as it may take too long for the plants to become established plus the seedlings don't come true to color and size.
This is an heirloom variety that has a lower oxalic acid content than most rhubarbs, allowing it to be harvested much longer in the growing season. The stalks tend to be more green than red (at least in my garden) and the plants seem quite eager to send up seed stalks, which should be removed unless you want to save the seed, as leaving the stalks will decrease the vigor of the plant.
I got this to replace the 'Victoria' variety, which always bolted early for me and produced very large, green, and tough stalks. 'Crimson Red' seems to have smaller more tender stems that are often quite red throughout. I think it also helped that I relocated the rhubarb to a location with warmer and more well drained soil. I think this benefits from frequent dividing also.
This is an interesting plant as it forms its own "greenhouse" out of its own almost translucent leaves.
A dwarf alpine rhubarb.
