Did you know that you can harvest rhubarb up to four weeks earlier with a very simple trick? No? Then of course we don't want to withhold this trick from you.
If you like to eat a lot of rhubarb and also grow it yourself in the garden, you can often hardly wait until the stalks are finally ripe and you can start baking delicious rhubarb cake again in early summer. Fresh from the garden it simply tastes twice as good as at the bakery around the corner. But that's always the case with fruit and vegetables. It just always tastes better from your own garden.
But what if the rhubarb harvest is still a little long in coming, but the appetite for it is already huge? Then take advantage of the properties of the robust rhubarb plant and simply prematurely. With little effort, you can enjoy fresh rhubarb from your own garden for up to four weeks. We have summarized for you below exactly how premature growth works and what you need for forcing or bleaching (as passionate gardeners also call premature growth).
How does early rhubarb work?
The forcing or bleaching of rhubarb works according to a very simple principle: A tall terracotta container with a lid is placed over the rhubarb that is still in the ground. This in turn heats up in the sun, stores the heat for hours and thus ensures that the rhubarb sprout earlier. Another advantage is the darkness in the terracotta jar. Because in search of light, the rhubarb plants shoot up faster.
Premature rhubarb - explained step by step
To make it premature, you first need a container that you can put over the rhubarb. A rainwater barrel, for example, is very suitable for this. However, you then have to make a hole in the ground, because without sufficient ventilation the plant will not grow or begin to rot. It is best to simply cover this hole with a heavier plate. If you want to make it easier for yourself, you can of course also use a large planter with a height of at least 50 cm. Or you can use a special one for coming earlyintended forcing pot. Then proceed as follows to prematurely:
- In February, cover the rhubarb plant with dry straw.
- Put the forcing pot over the plant.
- Water the plant regularly.
- In between you can always harvest a few stalks of rhubarb.
- You can then remove the forcing pot again in the spring.
A little tip:
If you would like to enjoy even more rhubarb in the years to come, you can share your rhubarb in autumn. In the first two years, however, it is advisable not to harvest anything from the transplanted rhubarb plant, as the plant needs a closed season. But after that, nothing stands in the way of delicious rhubarb enjoyment.
Bleached rhubarb tastes milder
If you put rhubarb under a terracotta jar prematurely for the first time, you will quickly notice that it looks a little different than "normal" rhubarb. Lighter to be precise. Instead of bright green leaves and bright red rhubarb stalks, the premature variety has yellow leaves and pink stalks. This is only because the leaves lack chlorophyll due to the darkness. This is why it is also called bleached rhubarb.
And something else is different with forced rhubarb - the taste. Because not only the color of the plant is weakened, but also the taste. Because premature rhubarb tastes milder, less bitter and also contains less acid.
Here's another interesting video about premature rhubarb:
By loading the video, you accept YouTube's privacy policy.
Learn more
Load video
Always Unblock YouTube