Rhubarb - what do I do?

So this is my first "What do I do?" post.

We just moved in to the house and back by the shed is a giant mass of rhubarb. Great! I love rhubarb when I can get it. But this is all bolted and looks like a giant ugly weed instead. I don't remember my grandmother's rhubarb ever looking like this.

So...what do I do??

Thanks for the help.

Miss (now Mrs.) Liberty

moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic

 

Since you want the plant to put its energy into the leaves, cut off the unwanted flowers.

Jerry

 

Do pull or cut out the flower stalks. then you do the "twist and pull" to harvest the stalks. don't cut them off, whats left of the stem will rot at the base of the plant. Try one stalk first to see if it's still tender, then you can do more to use now or put some in the freezer for the winter.

I had a friend come last week and we harvested the large leaves and made concrete birdbaths out of them. they are beautiful and huge.

 

Definitely pull off the flower stalks first, and then pull any lower stalks that have turned rubbery and any with yellowed leaves. This should leave the healthy stalks and encourage more growth.
Do not cut, but pull them out.

 

Thanks everyone for the help.

Here's what I'm starting with.

 

In the fall give your new rhubarb a nice thick layer of leaf-mulch. Water as needed.

If it gets fed it could produce for many years.

 

From your picture that Rhubarb has being neglected.

First get rid of all those very long stalks,..as was described above,.. "twist and Pull" the stalks gripping the stalk at the base,..don't completely strip the Rhubarb of stalks,..always leave at least four.
During the summer feed the Rhubarb with anything like Baby-Bio or use a general purpose fertilizer,..Rhubarb love to be fed!.
Remember that the leaves are poisonous so dispose of those.
I have had the same Rhubarb plant for 7 years,..they can last up to 10 years.
So cover them up with something come winter.

 

concrete bird baths sound lovely! How did you use the leaves?

 

I can identify with the neglected rhubarb and wanting to "bring it back". Have one in my yard that went into a total dormancy period for over four years, didn't put out any new growth at all, thought it was a goner for sure! Three years ago noticed a "nub" showing after a fairly wet winter, put dehydrated steer manure over the area I'd remembered the plant growing..and rejuvenation began. That year it did send up flowering stalks that were removed immediately, plant was pretty puny to say the least but alive. Covered it again, in fall, with more dehydrated steer manure, began doing that each spring/fall and I now have one massive rhubarb plant with leaves over three feet across, big beautiful, tender stalks in abundance! I make sure it gets plenty of WATER on a daily basis (if not raining), believe that's one of the secrets to growing rhubarb, otherwise stalks have a tendency to get tough and stringy. Since a nearby spruce was removed last fall, the plant also gets more sunlight each day: another factor for it's "comeback". So, don't give up on yours, you'll see a differance next year with a little care.

 

weeds n seeds, thanks for sharing. That gives me hope that mine will thrive again.

I took the advice of everyone and got a lot of the dead and dying stuff off. After that I started noticing a lot of new growth. Very exciting.

Now all I have to do is start searching for recipes for what to do with it (my husband is the cook in my house).

 

Strawberry rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream on top! Believe it or not, rhubarb dehydrates beautifully (if you happen to own a dehydrator), is a GREAT thirst quenching snack when working outside on hot days..flavor explodes in your mouth, saliva glands work overtime! Also, have a fabulous recipe for rhubarb-citrus marmelade that isn't overly sweet BUT rather sweet and sour..is SUPER on toast or toasted English muffins, would be more then happy to share it..