rhubarb, the colour red

[John Savage]

On the local Sydney radio gardening program, a caller rang in to ask about the colour of her rhubarb, it not being as red as it usually is. The gardening expert said that temperatures above 25C cause rhubarb to not develop its full colour, and that the 3 or 4 days earlier in the month when our temperatures (it's Summer here) were well above 25C would be the cause.

I've never heard of this. My parents have had rhubarb growing for over

40 years, and even in mid-Summer when their daytime temperatures are rarely under 25C for weeks on end their plants always had plenty of red stems.

Every other gardening expert I've heard talk of the colour of rhubarb has said that it's genetic, and that there is nothing apart from replacing the plants will change green stemed rhubard into red!

Any one have any experience with warmer days causing rhubarb to grow with a duller stem colour?

[len gardener]

g'day john,

new one on me that one but maybe i wasn't listening at the time rhubarb not being my most favourite food plant.

mine here never quiet gets as red as i have seen it nor is it as green as some i've seen but summer or winter it is about the same colour all the time.

no matter the colour the taste is always the same from my taste buds that is.

wonder if it could be more like the richness of the soil and how much watering it gets that could make a difference?

len

snipped

[Dwayne]

Different types are different colors. I have 2 plants that stay green, and one that gets red. They came from two different people. That doesnt explain how yours was red one year and not the next. No idea.

Dwayne

[shazzbat]

SNIP

25C? I should be so lucky! It's more like 25F here in UK this morning. Scraped ice off the windscreen at 0630, what fun. Oh, and my rhubarb hasn't all put it's head above the parapet yet.

Steve

[r m watkin]

my rhubarb is just sarting to poke through the straw mulch that is over it, Widnes, U. K.

Ruichard M. Watkin.

[Keckley]

Hi I just checked in and saw this ..I know there are a peach and a Strawberry flavor..The peach is lighter red. Maybe that is it ..Becky

[Loki]

il Mon, 28 Feb 2005 00:38:12 GMT, John Savage ha scritto:

I thought is was sunshine that made it red. Less sunny days and things making it less red.

[len gardener]

g'day loki,

dunno mate, mines in full on sun all day and it's never gotten as red as some i've seen same colour all year here bottom 1/2 light to mid red top 1/2 green.

len

snipped

[John Savage]

Peach-flavoured rhubarb, you say?? Whatever next!

[Ramset]

Your gardenening expert is obviously a dipstick, like most media types... The colour is dependant on the type, other atributes to type are size of stems, thicknes of stems etc.... The caller that rang the station was probably lonely and needed to hear him/herself talk.... as do most callers to those shows...

Try

they may have more to it.

[Loki]

il Thu, 03 Mar 2005 23:04:06 +1100, Ramset ha scritto:

Then explain why my rhubarb is red one year and green the next. It is the same variety after all.

[Ramset]

Lonely are we.....

Spend some time with it.... get to know it..... feed it..... water it.... might just thank you for it...

[Loki]

il Sat, 05 Mar 2005 22:40:15 +1100, Ramset ha scritto:

It won't be too impressed when I eat it ...

[<davidkalninsSPAM]

[HC]

G'day

Been following this thread with interest mainly because I just LOVE rhubarb.....but I seem to remember my grandfather telling me when I was a kid that there are different varieties. Just a snippet in the archives of my mind!!

Can I join with David in asking for a rhizome of the Red variety? I'm prepared to pay for it, plus postage, of course!

Bronwyn ;-)

[e-mail] wrote:

[Vincent]

I have to throw out half of my rhubarb every year so that it will survive, it grows like there is no tomorrow I would have given the Salvo's about 50 corms / rhizomes, whatever and about

100 to neighbours, the bloody thing is always going to seed

[Ramset]

There is one called the "Sydney Red" which I got the seed for at the local Mitre 10. Forgotten seed company though, could've been Yates.

To cut it short I was able to get one growing, it's a dark red right up to the leaf join, the stem is thick but rather short, around 12 inches, could be my location, Ballarat. Doing well for the 2cd year.

Had one meal so far, appears slightly less astringent and less fibrous than some of the other varieties I've ended up with over the years.

[HC]

G'day Vincent

I'm salivating at the thought of freshly cooked rhubarb served with junket......yummy!!!

When you are ready to split the rhubarb again I'd be interested in buying some from you if you could send it in the mail? Unless, of course you are located closeby, in which case I could pick it up.

Bronwyn ;-)

V>

[John Savage]

Snap!

Some years back I bought some red-stalked rhubarb seedlings called "Sydney Winter Red" and planted them in the far north of the state where the climate compared with Sydney's is both hotter (in Summer) and colder (in Winter).

The mature plants produced stalks as green as grass, with not a skerrick of red in any! So much for their being "Red". And the "Winter" attribute? The plants completely disappeared in Winter, only emerging when the days warmed up, while the various other rhubarb plants soldiered valiantly on throughout the frosty nights. Though green in colour, their taste was delicious.

[John Savage]

Have you thought of ringing one of the radio gardening programs in Sydney and asking if someone on your side of Sydney has some unwanted rhubarb plants looking for a good home?

There are probably gardens where rhubarb is being dug out to make way for new buildings, or gardens being grassed over or phased out. It will only cost you the price of a phone call. 2UE and 2GB both have gardening from

6am -9am Sat & Sun. Anyone who dislikes rhubarb and buys a house with some in the garden would probably just throw it away, too.