Transplanting rhubarb in May/June

[Green_Poppy]

Hello I'm very new to allotments and growing veg. My husband and I have recently got a plot and at the moment we're clearing in preparation. There are already a few rhubarb plants (yay) which we want to keep. Has anyone any advice about moving them please? Someone told us we should wait til September, but we need to move them now as we're going to rotavate the entire plot at the weekend. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[weekendwellies]

Dont rotivate! It breaks up the roots and you get 10 times as many weeds. It is better to remove them by digging up by hand, hard work but worth it in the end.

[Green_Poppy]

We are digging at the moment, but the weeds are winning. We're planning on concentrating on the perennials, getting all (!) of the roots out and then rotavating. Then we aim to put down weed suppressing membrane topped with woodchip. Next up will be the raised beds.

[jacob marley]

If you want to move the Rhubarb then move it should not be a problem .
As for rotavating do it it might generate a lot of new growth but weeds come out of freshly worked ground more easily than hard ground and you will be able to grow some thing this year which is the main thing you can weed as the crops grow good luck and welcome to the grape vine were you you will get all sorts of advice....jacob

[Alice]

Just pick the rhubarb that's there Green Poppy then dig up the crowns and move them. They will be fine. All you can loose is the extra rhubarb you might have got this year.
And welcome to the Vine.

[NOG]

I have moved Rhubarb many times.....start digging with a fork about a foot away from the plant. Lift out the crown and if its a big one split it with a spade and plant the two bits as sepeate plants. add lots of manure or compost and fertisiler to the hole.

[Green_Poppy]

Thank you so much for your help everyone. I have been really nervous about moving it. We love rhubarb and as it's the only thing on our plot growing that isn't a weed at the mo, we're desperate not to kill it.

[Dynamo]

Do you force your rhubarb or let it grow naturally? I've only just got my lotte and it came with a bed of rhubarb already established. I've already used quite a bit of it. When it dies back I'm going to move it, and next year I'm going to force a bit of it under a couple of old dustbins that I have.

[coreopsis]

I'll have to divide mine as there's more than one crown and only one of them is decent size.

[Green_Poppy]

We didn't plant the rhubarb, it was already there so I have absolutely no experience growing it. Mind you I do a mean crumble

[Alice]

If you want to get some really early rhubarb next spring Green Poppy when the rhubarb head starts to appear put a bucket over it to keep the light out and it will shoot up (forced rhubarb. It costs a fortune in the shops). Mark the plant you forced so that you don't choose the same victim next year - they take a while to recover.

[Green_Poppy]

Thanks Alice I'll certainly give it a try if I haven't killed it by then

[NOG]

Dont force rhubarb till the plants are established as it stresses the plant.

[Green_Poppy]

How will I know if the plant is established? I know this is probably a silly question, but I am very green.

[shirlthegirl43]

I would let the plant rest for at least the first year after moving it. If it crops heavily next year then harvest some and mark the heaviest cropping plant for forcing the year after. If you force it too soon after moving, it won't produce much and will possibly die in the effort. If it doesn't crop much next year, allow it to recover longer.