# Does it ruin rhubarb to let it go to seed?



## DaynaJ (Dec 5, 2007)

This is my 2nd yr for new rhubarb plant. It got huge already & has massive seed heads. I broke them all off, did I kill it? Do I save the seeds? There's got to be thousands-- first time to grow it. Grandma grew it & kids loved to suck on the stalks. Thanks


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

You are fine. I break off the seed stalks when they first go above the leaves. Seeds I compost.

Give you longer to harvest stalks.


Feed that plant. It wants food. And water. And more food.


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## WhyNot (Jun 21, 2011)

Yup you are fine, as frankva said. I compost the leaves as well. Remember when harvesting rhubarb you do not cut the stalks, you gently pull while twisting. It will produce better longer if you don't cut the stalks off, but you also don't want to pull out the roots. Rhubarb LOOOOVEES compost.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

I was always taught to break off the seed heads. My rhubarb is -- forgive the brag -- spectacular, and has been for years, so I must be doing something right.

I hesitate to offer my ultimate secret, but it is important. Urinate near it. Maybe once a week, and then water it well. Rhubarb is an acid lover, and it goes nuts for urea. So does any citrus plant. I used to have my husband do it, but after he died, I had to take over the responsibilities.

I have friends rave over how fine my rhubarb is. I never tell them why.


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

Yes, you did right. Removing the seed stalks prevents the plant from wasting its energy trying to produce seed and will allow it to put more energy into producing the edible stalks.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Also, cut it off as low you can. Otherwise the plant will continue to try to feed that stalk.

Martin


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## Yellow Creek (Nov 15, 2007)

Raeven

Seems others have adopted your approach. Gee Whiz: Human Urine Is Shown to Be an Effective Agricultural Fertilizer: Scientific American


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Yellow Creek (and the irony of your nickname is not lost on me), thanks for the reference to the SA article. I'd like to see more like that. 

I've long felt it is nearly criminal that we flush away to no good use so many of the plant nutrients which have become alarmingly scarce in the past several years. I don't whiz all over my garden, but for certain plants, I give them a boost. The difference in growth and production is startling.

Below is a pic of the happy rhubarb. I harvest it liberally, crack off the (rare) seed heads, never divide it and harvest it ruthlessly. It comes back happier every year. When we first arrived, it was a healthy plant. Now, it's a Popeye Rhubarb plant. That pic was snapped at about the same time of year as now in 2006... it was just getting started.










I never waste wood ash, either.


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