Anyone got a Rhubarb clump still going?

The best rhubarb comes from a small area around Accrington where the soil has a high sulphur level. Clumps are/were grown outside in the fields and fertilised with shoddy or waste wool from the mills. Dessert rhubarb was then forced in sheds with the light of a single candle.

I hope I got that mostly correct.

regards Martin

Update to my earlier post.

I had to carry out a repair in the garden today. As I walked past the rhubarb patch I could see that at least 3, maybe 4 of the plants were growing well.

Perhaps I will make a crumble this year.

We have sufficient (and more?) in the freezer, so little point in ‘forcing’ it these days.

Mine has been used to make lots of rhubarb wine and I supply selected households, along the street, with rhubarb in the growing season. A reliable and productive plant in the garden.

The forcing is about raising the sugar content

regards Martin

Is that a plus from (sulphuric) acid rain? The best rhubarb comes of course from West Yorkshire, but then I'm biased.

You are correct of course Duncan. I was working from memory about the rhubarb triangle and got my geography off.

Just looked it up and it's centered around Wakefield not Accrington. Must be getting confused with bricks.

regards Martin

Edited By Martin Kyte on 14/01/2023 18:55:33

Remember in the 50’s my Dad used to grow rhubarb in our garden and in those days there were horses that used to come down our street and Dad would be out there with a bucket and spade collecting the manure for the rhubarb. Dave W

Disagree. Forcing is to get an early crop, obviously to the detriment of the plant.

True but it also restricts the production of oxalic acid so the rhubarb tastes sweeter which is the primary reason for doing it commercially. I should probably have said the sugar balance really.
regards Martin

Ah the old joke “do you put manure on your rhubarb? “Na, we have custard on owern “

🥴

When I were a lad we had a greengrocer who came round with a lorry. He would give us urchins a stick of rhubarb, which we would eat raw, just dipping the end in sugar. Must be well over 60 years since. I'll try it next time I see some in the shop.