RHUBARB CHAMPAGNE! HARDLY EVER SEEN! VERY RARE AND HAS A HINT OF THE TASTE OF WINE! PINK TO RED MIXED STALKS, LIVES OVER MANY YEARS, YOU WON’T FIND THIS AT COLES OR WOOLIES! SUPERB TASTE! LIGHT AND FRUITY! PLANT AUTUMN OR SPRING.
Though an old variety, Rhubarb Champagne is one of the best varieties for both experienced and new gardeners, it is easy to grow, reliable and early.
It is a much sought after variety that gives a plentiful yield of long stems.
The long, scarlet stems have a deliciously sweet taste and a flavour described as ?winey’.
Champagne is an excellent variety for forcing, when it yields tender, sweet young stems.
The harvested stalks are tender, sweet, and a distinctive bright pink in colour with tiny curled yellow leaves that makes forced rhubarb instantly recognisable.
Seed may be planted in autumn or spring. Plants started from seed typically take two years to get a really good harvest, although in the proper climate satisfactory results can be obtained in one growing season.
For the home gardener, rhubarb will tolerate a fair amount of neglect and still thrive, they are very tough plants. You will probably get a mix of plant colours ranging from green through pink with a few plants with red or partly red stems.
When grown as an ornamental, the huge leaves topped with tall stalks of white flowers with a green tinge are quite impressive.
Sowing: Sow in late winter to spring or late summer to autumn.
The seeds are encased in a rather large paper-like shell.
Soak the seeds in water for a few hours before planting.
Plant the seeds in a peaty mixture or into peat pots to making transplanting them easier and then put them in a sunny window. Rhubarb seeds germinate quickly.
Position:
Good garden drainage is essential in growing rhubarb, planting in raised beds helps ensure against rotting of the crowns.
Crowns will have longevity of many years, but because of diseases and insects, it is normal to reset a bed after four to five years.
Planting out:
For autumn sown seedlings, protect the seedlings from the bright sun. Be careful to not over water it as rhubarb can get root rot if the ground is too wet.
For spring sown seedlings, transplant outside when the plants about 3 to 4in tall.
Space 1 metre apart. Much smaller will seriously crowd the plants, result in a diminished crop and increase the likelihood of spreading disease.
A two to three year old plant can easily grow to 1.25m in diameter and 1m tall.
Harvesting:
Remove the flower stalks as they are seen. During the first year of planting, the stalks should not be picked, since food from the leaves is needed to nourish the roots for the next year’s growth.
A light picking may be taken during the year following planting, following that: the entire plant may be harvested.
When harvesting rhubarb, the first step is to cut the stalks at the soil line or simply pull them out individually.
All of the stalks of a plant may be harvested at one time, or pulled out selectively over a 4 to 6 week period. After the stalks are cut, the leaves may be removed.
Flowering will reduce the vigour of the plant. The flower and seed stalks should be cut out as soon as they start forming. The plant may still continue to produce the flower stalks so keep cutting.
The plants do not become poisonous after flowering starts. The leaves themselves are always poisonous; the leaf stalks can still be cut and used.
Established clumps will have to be trimmed every 4 to 5 years or when the stalks get small and spindly or when the crown is visibly crowded.
This will help the plant to keep growing nice thick stems. This is done by digging around and trimming the crown down to 4 or 5 buds.
You can also use this opportunity to divide your plant into more plants.
SEEDS HAVE A PAPERY COVER, SOAK BEFORE PLANTING IN ROOM TEMP WATER FOR 24 HOURS. EASY TO SEE AND HANDLE.