The Wonder of Kentish Forced Rhubarb

These champagne pink spears of Sweet and tender rhubarb are worlds away from their greener outdoor grown main season variants.

Traditionally Rhubarb Forcing was done in private gardens around the country using forcing pots and became tradition for early spring when the pot would retain heat from the daylight sun and have the plant believe the warmer spring was hear. The plant would then take stored sugars and force them into stalks to shoot upwards in search of light.

Taking these learnings, growers have managed to find a way of commercially producing forced Rhubarb for our customers, but before I explain how, you must first realise that Under the soil is a collection of big fleshy roots collected together called Rhizomes, from these the photos come up.

Step 1: Split the Rhizomes up of elder plants to multiple plants.

Step 2: Plant into the field and ensure well fed and watered.

Step 3: DO NOT HARVEST for 2 year and allow the collections of rhizomes to multiple and build sugar stores.

Step 4: Dig out each root ball and move into a dark barn.

Step 5: Increase the temperature of the barn slowly over a few weeks

Step 6: Once the rhizome balls start to show signs of shooting it will take 7-10 days to grow into the beautiful long bright pink sticks we supply our customers.

At one point, 90% of the world’s forced rhubarb was grown in the Yorkshire triangle PDO (an area between Wakefield Leeds and Bradford). With modern day strains on building, staff, land and energy costs, establishing a forced rhubarb farm is simply not viable, but Alex Myatt and family from Mockbeggar in Kent had some redundant farm buildings in kent and a skill for growing rhubarb, they started producing forced rhubarb and My oh My is it good.