Quick rhubarb question

[Hugh_Jones]

The plants will increase in size every year for several years, but after 9 or 10 years will start to decline and will need to be split up and the woody parts discarded. If you can, it is best to split one plant up after (say) 6 or 7 years and the new plants will be producing when you have to split up the others.

Rosebud, if you force your plants under an upturned dustin (filled with straw) the tender pale pink sticks produced are virtually acid free and should not affect the arthritis. Don`t force more than half your plants each year.

[Hugh_Jones]

[Mrs Ava]

I have never heard of this about buuby and arthritis.  See, learn something new every day on this fab site.  So, what does bubby do to you if you have arthritis?  I know it makes my teeth go all sensitive if it is toooo sharp and makes my mum come out in a terrible rash!  :o

[Doris_Pinks]

EJ, found this "people with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones, or hyperacidity should be cautious about eating rhubarb, which can aggravate those conditions."
Thats why I am growing mine for my compost heap!!  Dottie P.

[rdak]

I'd heard that ff you eat too much rhubarb (or if you eat the leaves) if causes crystals to form on bones - guess this is related to the arthritis thing.

[Hugh_Jones]

Rhubarb contains oxalic acid, and it is this which causes the formation of crystals in arthritic joints.  There are mild concentrations in the plant stems, but the major concentration is in the leaves, which are normally considered poisonous (to a degree, at least, although one would have to eat quite a lot of them).

If the rhubarb is forced quickly in warmth and darkness, the amount of oxalic acid, in both stems and leaves, is greatly reduced.

Having said which I must admit that although I have arthritic fingers and a dodgy knee, I flatly refuse to do without my rhubarb pies and crumble as long as they are made from forced rhubarb, and I`ve never noticed any ill effects after eating them.

[Doris_Pinks]

Aha Hugh, so I shall be able to eat the ones I am forcing........yippee!!  DP

[rdak]

really dumb question..which way up do I plant these crowns?! They have shoots out of one end, but the shoots are nearly at right angles to the way the crown is positioned ie.


     __________
    |   _shoot___
|--|   |-
|   c    |    
|   r    |
|   o   |
|   w  |
|   n   |
--------

(I know, I know - I should be an artist!!)

does the crown go lengthways as shown above and the shoots will be flat on the ground or lay flat on the ground so that shoots are pointing up?

[Hugh_Jones]

Ross, this is simply because the crown you have is actually a severed root which grew almost horizontally just below the soil surface.  Compromise in planting and plant the root at an angle of 45 deg. or so with the shoot pointing upwards.

[Sparky]

Doris_Pinks... where did you get your £1.15 rubarb crown from?  I nearly died with shock this afternoon when i went to buy some rubarb and saw it was £7.99!!!!!!!  :o
 Needless to say I came out empty handed!!!

[Doris_Pinks]

Sparky, i got it from a local garden center, if you want to PM me with your address, and how many, I can post some to you. DP

[Sparky]

Thanks for the offer DP but found a Wilkinsons I never knew existed and bought 2 today!!  Yippee