Throughout the first two weeks of December, forced rhubarb was laid in the tunnels, of which we have started harvesting.
Forced rhubarb is pink in colour with small yellow leaves, which contrasts to outdoor grown rhubarb. The stems are grown in dark conditions, so the plants do not photosynthesise. As a result, the pink stems are surprisingly tender and sweet.
In January, we resumed the process by lifting and setting up additional tunnels for forcing more rhubarb. We were also able to achieve this by covering the crop with fleece and mulch in the fields. This is helping us to fulfil the rhubarb demand until the traditional outdoor rhubarb is ready near the end of April.