Force rhubarb

Start rhubarb forcing

Soon rhubarb will be ready for harvest. The earliest shoots are the sweetest, but you can go one better by forcing them to grow in the dark for the most tender, sweetest shoots of all. You can only do this at the start of the season, then the plant must be allowed to grow in normal light to recover some of its energy. Look for early, mid and late-shooting varieties so you can grow the plants in succession. Two early cultivars are ‘Timperley Early’ and ‘Champagne’; ‘ Victoria’ is a popular late variety while ‘Livingstone’ is an autumn cropper.

1 WEED around the crown, select some buds to cover and make the ground level before putting the forcing jar over them.

2 TAKE the lid off to check for growth, when the buds break they grow fast. Replace the lid making sure no light’s getting in.

3 HARVEST when there are several long thin stems with pale leaves. Pull the stems from the base rather than cutting them.