When a garden bed-grown plant variety, such as rhubarb, flowers, it usually means that it is no longer usable. However, there are other ways to take advantage of the shooting plants with their flowers. In fact, it’s quite normal to spot seed pods and flower stalks as early as April or late spring. From the plant’s point of view, this is only part of its natural life cycle and reproductive phase. The latter leads to the production of fruits and seeds. Although the edible stems are important to most gardeners, a few simple plant care steps can still save the harvest. Here is some useful information and tips that can help you with that.
What Causes a Rhubarb to Bloom?
When such plants begin to shoot, a number of factors are due to this. Normally, young rhubarb plants do not develop seed pods and flower stalks. These are more likely to occur in mature plants that are at least 3 years old. Splitting the crowns of mature plants every few years turns back the clock of maturity, so to speak, and reduces flowering. In addition, the earlier-growing flower stalks also depend on the plant variety. Some older varieties are more likely to develop flowers, while modern rhubarb plants are bred to flower less frequently.
Higher temperatures can also cause a rhubarb to flower. The crop thrives best in cooler weather and if it is a particularly warm spring this can result in rhubarb shoots as early as April. In such cases, you should water your plant more often, although other stress factors can also lead to premature bolting of the rhubarb. Some of these are garden pests eating through the plant leaves or lack of nutrients. However, even with careful plant care, it is possible for a rhubarb to flower as this is a natural process. But you can still make something out of it by considering the following ideas.
Can the rhubarb plant be prevented from flowering?
Rhubarb flowers are beautiful and it would be a waste to just cut them off and throw them away. In fact, they don’t affect plant growth, nor do they affect the taste of the stems. The only downside to this is that you will harvest less of it as a result.
This is because the plant expends a lot of energy developing flower stalks and seed pods. This limits the harvest as it causes the rhubarb to produce fewer edible stalks. You can try to prevent flowering by acting quickly and removing the seed pod immediately. For this, you should cut them off with a sharp knife as close as possible to the base of the plant.
One way to prevent your rhubarb from flowering is to divide older growth. From it, accordingly, you can grow new seedlings and rejuvenate each new section. If you have plants in the bed that are more than five years old and have started to flower, these are ideal for this. The spring season is also a perfect time for this. However, if you’re not done harvesting yet, you might want to wait until fall to part the crowns.
What alternatives are possible when a rhubarb is in bloom?
So you can let your rhubarb plants flower, but remember that they expend a lot of energy developing the buds. The plants also invest their strength in the formation of the seed capsule. Because rhubarb is grown for the stems, most gardeners choose to remove the flowers as soon as they appear. Thus, the plant focuses its energy on the growth of the leaves.
Additionally, you can alternatively consider allowing the plants to keep growing for the stunning flower. The flowers can indeed be an incredible decorative element in any home or garden. They also last a long time and you can try putting the flower stalks in a vase for an exotic floral arrangement. However, choose one that has stable soil and add a few smaller plant leaves for even more beautiful greenery.
It is also important that when a rhubarb flowers, it does not affect the stems and leaves. You can still use the stalks for cooking or in delicious rhubarb pies, although the leaves are inedible. Additionally, a flowering rhubarb can also be used alternatively and if you know more about how to prevent or fix this then there is nothing to worry about. You can still enjoy the popular taste of the stalks that you pick fresh from the garden.