By Garrett Okrasinski
Last year I planted a new rhubarb plant and excitingly awaited for it to grown large enough to make my favorite strawberry rhubarb pie. However, I was upset to hear that rhubarb take at least a year until it is large enough and producing beautiful stalks for consumption. So patiently I tended my rhubarb last spring and summer. This spring I was so excited to see it coming back and starting to send out beautiful green leafs, knowing this is my year for rhubarb!
It you are lucky enough to notice a young leaf before it emerges, it is one of the coolest things! Tightly bound up, a tinder green leave almost looks like a brain! Rhubarb is an exciting and rewarding plant to watch grow (especially if you have been anxiously awaiting to harvest it for over a year!!).
Today, I noticed my rhubarb had a tall stalk leading to an odd looking bud. Last year, I did not notice my rhubarb had any buds or flowers. Concerned, I first took a picture and then did some research on why in March my rhubarb could be flowering.
Rhubarb can flower for multiple reasons including; maturity of the plant, stress (lack of nutrients in the soil), variety of plant, or heat.
Due to the age of my plant and the warm winter and spring we are experiencing, I deducted that the heat was causing my rhubarb to flower. Flower heads are common on rhubarb plants during the spring but need to be cut out immediately. If left, the plant sends it energy to producing the flower instead of growing big juicy stalks.
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