I love rhubarb and its finally here for 2019.. We had a very slow start to our spring and now we are having a cool wet start to the garden season. While I know others might not agree with me, I will take a cooler slower wetter spring then I will take summer heat and spring drought.
Having said that, my own big patch of rhubarb are coming on slower to produce their bigger stalks but are already starting to flower. The flowers will be coming off and being used for creating a new recipe in their use.
There is a long season yet for rhubarb and its harvest but I do know that I will be having a smaller harvest then the past couple years because we are digging up plants and splitting and moving a few of them into the new front kitchen garden. One of my smaller (but still much bigger then anythign you would get in the garden store) has been moved the spot in front of the strawberry raised bed. Its at the end of the single row plot 2. I have plans to move three more up into the front yard..
This means I will be done four plants in the main harvest plot, because I will not harvest off the split plant that is replanted this year or depending even next year. Given this, I expect I will most likely only harvesting 100 to 150 pounds of rhubarb this year, I will weight it out and keep track of it.
The local rhubarb price in stores is 8 dollars a pound, the local farmers market ranges from in the five to six dollar per pound, the local farmers are selling it at 4 dollars a pound at their farm gates and there is a local bakery that is buying it at 2 dollars a pound in bakery credits (I thought that both clever and very low all in one)
For someone with a couple plants from grandma that always have a ton left over and no idea what to do with it, I think they would love to take in a couple pounds and get the bakery credit..
However given the regular price of rhubarb, 2 dollars a pound is just being cheap as its even half of the really good priced farm gate rhubarb. Still creative and certainly trying to do a work around paying that much higher dollars per pound rate if she is ordering it in from “her suppliers”
Little 8 inch strawberry and rhubarb pies are running 10 dollars.. wow!
How is your rhubarb doing this year? you buying or selling, what is the local prices in your neck of the woods?
Just another Day on the Farm 
Our slow cold spring has our rhubarb barely growing so far. We harvested a couple of the longer stalks because I desperately wanted some rhubarb struesel bread. But they are barely ready.
How do you divide and replant rhubarb? I would like to do that with one of mine.
hi willow, i will do a single direct post on how to do that. there are a few things that make it go better
Thanks!
Can you give us novices with rhubarb on how to cut the stalks away from
Main tuber? What/why cut out the flowers? Fertilizer, when, kind, how much?
I can do that Rita, great questions, I will do a Rhubarb 101 including how to split it for WillowCreek. I will see if I can find time on Friday to get the photo’s and write up the post.
After holding back for SO long, The Three have gone completely insane this year with leaves as long as my arm. Really need to figure out at least one more place for divisions that’s less of a protected microclimate… Also found a very sneaky Red Current that apparently LOVES where it is and not sure if I can even get at it to relocate:/
Rhubarb has always been one of my survival foods. I know that I can always count on it. I can’t believe how much rhubarb is selling for in your area! That’s crazy money! For the first time ever we are selling it in our store for $1.99 a pound, which is the equivalent to a small bundle. I’ll be surprise if we sell any since most people are happy to give away their excess.