Rhubarb Problems

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Problems Growing Rhubarb

Flowering:

Some cultivars can be more prone than others.
Remove flower stalks as soon as they appear to prevent them weakening the crowns.
Flowering is usually worse after wet summers or where high nitrogen feed has been overused.

Thin, weak stems:

Lots of thin stems indicate the crown is losing vigour and needs to be divided (see ‘Propagation’).
Increased feeding may also help.

Split stems, sometimes exuding sticky sap:

This is sometimes caused by late frosts but is often an indication of erratic growth due to seasonal conditions.
Cool or dry periods followed by moist or mild weather means the hard outer growth splits when the new, rapid growth occurs.
Mulching and feeding may help to avoid the worst damage.

Green, poor quality stems:

Warm, dry summers can give rise to poorly-coloured, bad-tasting stalks.
Try to harvest earlier while the days are cooler and moister.

Slow or no growth:

Rhubarb will stop growing if the temperature rises above 32ºC (90ºF).
This can happen in hot summers.
Growth can also slow or stop if the plants are under drought stress so watering may help.

Category: Recipes

Lamb Cutlets with Butternut Squash & Mint

Simply delicious one of my all time favourites

Rhubarb & Grenadine Crumble

Rhubarb & Grenadine Crumble
This has a great twist, the Grenadine adds great colour and taste to the rhubarb that will add that something special to your dessert!

Perfect Roast Potatoes

Perfect Roast Potatoes
My foolproof way of getting that perfect roastie!

Category: The Growing Season

October is the month when it feels like the season is about to turn, the days start to shorten and the sun appears lower in the sky, the leaves change colour and fall to the ground and temperatures drop. The first frost are likely too, which will be the end of many of your crops out in the open so if you still haven’t harvested frost sensitive crops now is the time before Jack Frost gets them!

The Growing Season

The Growing Season varies in different parts of the United Kingdom, but in Hatfield Peverel we are blessed with a milder climate and enjoy a longer season than many parts of the country.

In this section of the web site I have tried to separate the season out into monthly sections to help and guide you through the most popular tasks and crops regularly grown on the allotment site, but if you would like a feature made of a particular vegetable or task, please get in touch and I will do my best to add it to the web site for you.

Jobs to do in September

Jobs to do in September
September marks a change in the seasons, you'll be harvesting the last of your summer crops if you haven't already done so, crops like tomatoes, beans, peppers, sweetcorn will be finishing, but on the other hand the first of the Autumn crops will be nearing ready or may be ready like Apples, Pears, Main Crop Potatoes, Winter Squashes to name but a few!

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