Gardeners with rhubarb urged to do crucial thing to crops in April

If you’re looking forward to making a jam or crumble out of your rhubarb this then make sure to follow this one tip. To ensure your grows as sweet and tender as possible, experts say it all comes down to when you force it.

Forcing rhubarb is a technique familiar with anyone who regularly grows the . It basically means growing rhubarb in dark space indoors or in a container. The lack of light forces the roots into early growth, which makes its reddish stalks more supple, and lends the veg a sweet rather than tart taste.

There are many reasons why you might want to force your rhubarb. Despite being a vegetable, it is typically treated like a fruit in the culinary – especially when it comes to dessert.

Many people like to use rhubarb the same way they would apples or berries. Rhubarb makes for a delicious pie filling, jam, or even a compote to go with pancakes or yoghurt.

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Its sweet-but-tangy taste and distinctive fibrous texture makes it a highly versatile and delicious ingredient. Plus, it’s also a great source of fibre and vitamin K.

For this reason, many people prefer their rhubarb to taste sweet. If it turns out too tart, it may make your desserts and jams taste overly sour.

For this reason, experts recommend forcing rhubarb in April. This is because it gives the vegetable enough time to ripen before being picked in the summer.

When forcing rhubarb, you should still make sure it gets the right amount of water. This involves watering the soil when it gets dry – but only enough to moisten it.

Typically, forced rhubarb is ready to be picked between seven to eight weeks after being covered. When they are ready to be picked the stalks will have thickened to 25 to 30 centimetres and will have turned a pale pink colour.

But if you’re looking to force your rhubarb now, you’re already too late. An expert has warned that rhubarb needs to be forced before April for it to be ready on time for summer, reported.

Horticulturalist Erik Collado Vidal explained: "I wouldn't force rhubarb in April. It's too late and by this time, the plant is already pushing up natural growth."

The ideal time for rhubarb forcing actually lies between December and March. This is because the plant is still dormant at this time, which helps to encourage a crop of pale pink and tender stalks.

Erik added: "That stored energy is what gives you those tender, sweet stalks during forcing. Once you see new shoots breaking through the soil, the plant is moving into its normal growth phase, and forcing interrupts that."