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lonewolf_amar

Bolting Rhubarb

lonewolf_amar
14 years ago

My father loves rhubarb and has had difficulty with his rhubarb for a couple of years now. He has numerous rhubarb plants and plants new ones every year. However, every year the rhubarb bolts almost as soon as it starts growing. He does not get a chance to harvest any because it bolts so early. He lives about 20 miles north of Madison. The soil grows most things very well and he composts and spreads both chicken and cow manure over the gardens. Does anyone have any ideas about why the rhubarb might bolt so early and what he can do to help prevent it?

Comments (3)

  • puzzlefan
    14 years ago

    Could be too much fertilizer. Rhubarb "bolts" when it wants to grow seed. You want to put that off as much as possible although almost everyone will have a stalk or two that has to be lopped off. I'd suggest a soil test. A soil test would show if the ph was off too.

  • nonfictionally
    13 years ago

    I have the same problem. But I don't think it is too much fertilizer because with varying fertilizer over the years--i.e. minimal to good compost, it does the same thing.

    I've wondered if it is the weather, but it will bolt in March, April, May, June. . . you get the picture.

    Puzzlefan, what pH does it like? Although it did this in our straight alkaline soil, and it is still doing it in our composty soil.

  • merrygardens
    13 years ago

    It is not "bolting". It's putting up a flower stalk. Just cut it off and go on harvesting.

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