Professionals know a trick when growing rhubarb: forcing and bleaching. We show what it's all about and share our 6-step guide.
Towards the end of March, the first rhubarb stalks can be harvested
Forcing and Bleaching Rhubarb Instructions
Below, we share our expert tips in 6 easy steps:
- In February, cover the rhubarb plant with a layer of dry straw or dry leaves.
- Put a so-called forcing pot or forcing pot over the plant. As an alternative to the usually quite expensive forcing pots, you can also work with smaller rainwater barrels or lightproof wastepaper baskets. This is a much cheaper method, but you'll get better results with the classic terracotta saucepans, as they store and retain heat better.
- Make sure that the plant always has enough moisture available. In forcing pots with a very large diameter, the plants can get too little water.
- You can check every three to four days whether the rhubarb is ready to harvest by carefully removing the lid.
- When harvesting, lift the forcing pot vertically to expose the juicy rhubarb stalks. Because of the darkness, the rhubarb stalks are pale. The botanist speaks here of wilted shoots. After harvesting a few stems, the pot should be placed back over the plant.
- The forcing pot can be removed in the spring. Care must be taken to ensure that the sensitive shoots do not suffer sunburn or late frost damage. The forcing means an increased stress level for the plant.
We have summarized for you here in our special article how you should generally proceed with the rhubarb duck.