Forcing Rhubarb
I am a huge fan of traditional gardening methods and forcing rhubarb is one of those, it produces an early harvest of extra sweet and tender stalks at least a month before the normal harvest would happen. It’s really easy to do and although you can buy gorgeous rhubarb forcers it’s easy to do with what you have available. So here’s our guide to forcing rhubarb.
What is Forcing Rhubarb
Rhubarb forcing is just as simple as covering the plant early in the growing season to exclude light. It stimulates the plant to grow stalks in search of the light, so you get early long, tender stalks.
Did you know there is Rhubarb Triangle in Yorkshire that is famed for growing forced rhubarb early in the season. They are grown in pitch black buildings and harvested by candle light to get the sweets and most tender stems to the farm shops and supermarkets.
Read Now: Rhubarb in your kitchen garden
Why Force Your Rhubarb
If it seems a little weird to you to force your rhubarb to grow it’s great because you get to enjoy the vegetable much earlier in the season – just as your supply from the freezer is running out (or is that just me!) you can harvest your rhubarb from the garden and start to replenish again!
As I mentioned the stalks are so much sweeter and more tender than those that you harvest later in the season. I remember as a child that rhubarb could be stringy – I didn’t mind the taste mattered to me not the texture but for my eldest the texture is a really big thing and he only really enjoys the tender early rhubarb not later in the season.
It also provides a much needed splash of colour in the early spring garden – just as everything is waking up the forced rhubarb is in full growth with bright red or pink stems and vibrant green leaves.
Read Now: Guide to Growing Rhubarb
How to Force Rhubarb
As I mentioned you can buy gorgeous terracotta forcing jars for your rhubarb or get a vintage one if you are very lucky. But, you don’t need to use those or even a modern version that you buy instead a bin, bucket or similar is all your need.
- Start as the first leaves appear on your crown.
- Place the bucket or forcer over the top of your crown and prevent the light entering.
- Check the plant regularly, the warmth and dark will increase the rate of growth, but also it provides an excellent hiding space for slugs and snails.
If you are wondering why our rhubarb forcer bucket has bricks on top – it’s because the dog would know the bucket over if not! It’s not necessary but if like us you have an excitable pup, or you are in an exposed site where the wind could get under then it’s a good idea to do.
It’s really important that you don’t do this each year – it’s one of the reasons why I have 2 plants. Alternating the years means that the plant has a recovery period where it can store more food in the roots and increase growth for the following year. I also didn’t force my rhubarb until the 4th year of the plants in my garden.
When to Harvest your Forced Rhubarb
Your rhubarb is ready to harvest when the stalks are around 30 cm’s long, don’t harvest everything leave a few of the stalks to continue to grow and add food to the roots. Then you are ready to make your first recipe with your homegrown early rhubarb.
After you have harvested, it’s time to put the rhubarb forcer aside and let the rhubarb grow naturally throughout the rest of the season. This is another reason why it’s best to have at least 2 plants as by the time you have finished forcing your rhubarb and enjoyed your harvest there is only a couple of weeks before the next plant is ready to harvest.
