Rob Smith is forcing rhubarb
I'm taking action to get sweeter stalks and more plants
Afew months ago I managed to get my hands on a couple of old-fashioned terracotta rhubarb forcers and I’ve been itching to use them ever since. Don’t get me wrong, they look great in the garden and really help to make it feel like a proper ‘kitchen garden’, but I’ve always wanted to use one to force my own super sweet stalks.
To accomplish this I’m going to cover the crown with straw and then put the forcer on top. This can be done any time from mid-December to January and should encourage the plants to produce light pink stalks which are more tender and sweeter than the green stalks of an unforced plant. Afterwards, plants should be to left to recover for the rest of the season as the process stresses them, so if you have more than one plant why not give it a go; you can even use an upturned plastic bin if you don’t have a forcer, but remember to weigh it down as it may blow off in winter winds.
Another plant that’s typically forced in the kitchen garden is sea kale (Crambe maritima), which is covered with a smaller, more squat forcer, unlike the taller ones used for rhubarb. That said, I want to increase the number of sea kale plants I have rather than putting energy into forcing my single plant.
Sea kale can be grown from seed if you have the patience, but I prefer to grow from thongs (root cuttings) as they’re quicker to establish and almost foolproof. Dig the plant up and shake off as much soil as possible; this should be relatively easy as plants should be growing in a sandy, gritty soil to mimic the coastal areas where it grows wild.
Choose roots that are at least as thick as a pencil and a little bigger than your middle finger, then lay them either in trays of gritty compost, or three or four root cuttings held together with a rubber band can be planted in a deep pot. This allows for any failures and just about guarantees one plant from a pot. Cover the thongs with 2cm (¾in) of soil and keep in a cool greenhouse or cold frame, protecting from snails or slugs, and they should sprout in early spring, ready to plant out in May after frosts have passed.
Unbelievably, Christmas is now just around the corner and it’s the ideal time to trim grapevines before their sap starts to rise as the days finally start to get longer after December 22. To encourage more fruit next year I always trim the vines back to one or two leaf nodes
from last year’s wood. This prevents the plants from becoming too leggy and weak and also gives the plants a better shape. At the same time as pruning grapes, make sure to check for any damage or diseased wood, removing it where needed. My vines are pretty young, yet older plants may need their stems scraping with the back of a knife to remove any loose, fibrous balk.
The reason for this is it’s the ideal hiding place for overwintering pests, so any loose bits should be carefully scraped or peeled off, ensuring you don’t damage the plant or reveal green wood, as that means you’ve removed too much. If you’re unsure about using a knife, you can use your hands
to remove the loose material, inspecting for pests as you go.