On Sun, 10 Feb 2019 13:09:45 -0000, Janet > wrote:

>In article >,
>says...
>>
>> After decades of service, my old rhubarb died. It used to produce
>> really broad stalks and lots of them
>> I replaced it a couple of years ago but all the new plant produced
>> were blossom stalks and a few skinny stalks.
>>
>> I ordered a new rhubarb yesterday. It promises to produce few or no
>> blossom stalks. It looks like it will produce nice broad stalks.
>> https://www.growerssolution.com/rhub...e-rhubarb.html
>> Until I started looking around online for rhubarb I didn't realize
>> that some rhubarb has a nasty habit of producing a lot of blossom
>> stalks. The blossom stalks steal all the plant energy and the stalks
>> themselves are throw aways.
>
> I just pull them off as soon as I spot them.
>
> This morning I noticed new buds on my rhubarb, and put a big pot over
>it to force some tender early stems.
>
> My grandfather taught me to dig a really big planting pit for rhubarb
>and fill it with a lot of biodegradable material that will decay slowly
>over years providing a longterm food supply. I use manure, roadkill,
>bones abandoned by dog, old leather (boots, belts, bags) and old wool
>(blankets, sheep fleece,clothes).
>
> Janet UK

We did all that for planting the last rhubarb. Bushels of manure,
bushels of compost and run soaker hose to the plant (we need soaker
hoses here in my climate) That stubborn plant insisted on blossom
stalks. I read all the stuff I could to be a good rhubarb parent to
no avail. Now I find out that some rhubarb varieties are more
inclined to produce blossom stalks. I just want a plant like I first
had that lasted 25-30 years that gave huge, wide, red stalks. I
wasted a lot of years on that stupid plant. Now it goes
Janet US