I've never seen green rhubarb before and had to look it up. Yes, its "ripe". Its just a green variety. Rhubarb comes in red, green and all shades in between. And color doesn't relate to sweetness.
These green rhubarbs are all over our community garden. They must be the most prolific variety for us. Everyone shares the plants which are very vigorous. Mine are a division from another plot.
I still like the looks of a red rhubarb and will be on the lookout for another plant to add to my garden.
I just read up on rhubarb the other day since everyone seemed to be letting theirs bolt - I wasn't sure if you were supposed to (general internet consensus says don't let it bolt - it just wastes energy and the plant doesn't come true to seed). I don't know that we'll be able to harvest any of ours this year - they're all pretty small... relatively speaking for rhubarb.
ReplyDeleteKathy, any chance you could send me a small root of your prolific green rhubarb? I'm happy to provide you with postage.
ReplyDeleteGreen rhubarb is, I think, one of the oldest and most primitive of the varieties. The red stalked varieties all came later as "improvements" but in reality it is only a visual improvement.
ReplyDeleteRhubarb is like asparagus only worse ... it takes at least three years to a reasonable harvest and more like five ... and that assumes that they have full sun, that you have fed the plants heavily each year and that you have given them lots of water. They are actually happiest growing out of a sodden manure pile.
By all means, cut off the seed stalk. It is useless.
A lot of may favorite desserts have rhubarb in them. But, do be careful ... too much can cause some real gastric distress, he says from personal overindulgence.