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Overview
Covering crowns of rhubarb will encourage them to make early growth. These forced stalks can be harvested for use in cooking when they are 20cm - 30cm long and make a useful substitute for fruit when there is little else in store from the garden.
Do it:
November - February
At its best:
harvest January - April
Takes just:
10 minutes
How to do it
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Clear around the base of a rhubarb crown, removing old leaves and weeds. Use a large pot, dustbin or decorative rhubarb forcer to cover the crown. Plug any holes to exclude light. -
In cold regions or to speed forcing, insulate the outside of the pot with a thick layer of straw. Most years, forced rhubarb will be ready to harvest eight weeks after covering.
"Avoid forcing a single crown of rhubarb for two years in a row. Leave it to crop naturally instead, and always have more than one crown so you can force in alternate years."
