rhubarb question??

[lottie-newbie]

This may seem silly........................does rhubarb totally dissapear in the winter or has my clump of it somehow died and withered? went to lottie for first time in ages and remembered about the rhubard so looked in the vicinity where it was last year. Nothing!

[Two_Sheds]

Rhubarb originates from Siberia, and is a very hardy, frost resistant plant

I've been trying to kill mine with neglect for years, but it still comes back every spring. http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_...1a_rhubarb.asp

[lumpyjumper]

I wouldn't worry, mine disappears and resembles dead wood buried in mud over the winter, and I've noticed the new shoots have already started sprouting. It does wither and look dead, but in the words of Monty Python "It's only sleeping"


I've just planted 4 tiny tiny plants up at the allotment, if they don't take I'll buy a bigger crown and stick that in!!! Rhubarb is one of my favourites along with Goosegogs and Raspberries, hence they are the first things I've planted in my allotment, I want a whole bed of rhubarb.

[Flummery]

I've had mine for 9 years - and I still can't exactly guess where it is! I know within a foot each way but I'm always surprised!

[lottie-newbie]

great!!! I will keep a rough eye on the place where I think it was!

[sarraceniac]

I came on to start a new rhubarb thread and the first thing I saw was this, so may I expand the question (with lottie-newbie's indulgence)?

I gave away my rhubarb a couple of years ago but Boss Lady has insisted that it is delicious and a neighbour gave me a replacement crown last year which took beautifully and produced quite a lot of stalks, which I left. The thing is I would like to force some but is one year too early? I believe that forcing drains its energy. I have the bucket but can I risk it this year or am I better waiting?

[bobleponge]

I wouldnt force it on its first year, but after that it should be ok. I'm not talking from experience as I never force my rhubarb, but I think only once the crown is more than 2 years old.

[sarraceniac]

Thanks Bob. We'll just have to eat the stringy stuff for a year.

[andrewo]

I wouldn't force a one year plant, I would waut at least until it's third year and then I'd have given it plenty of manure in autumn and spring to feed up the crown. Remember that you can only force it once, you can't do it every year, so it may be a good idea for you to get a few crowns, I have 7 and only force one in succession each year and then you get on a rotation of splitting crowns etc. When you do come to force your crown don't forget to give it plenty of manure after forcing and not to pick any shoots it sends up later in the season. It is a myth that forced crowns need to be thrown away, they just need to be fed well, given plenty of TLC and left to rest after forcing.

[sarraceniac]

Thanks Andrew. I have been recommended to use tomato food in spring instead of my usual chicken pellets. The person that recommended that admitted to not being a rhubarb expert though. What do you think? (Strange how a few years ago you couldn't give it away and it is now bringing a fortune at Tesco).

[bobleponge]

At the end of the rhubarb season I just cover the whole bed in rotted manure and leave it for the winter. In the spring they all pop their little heads back up again. Andrew may well use something different as he forces his though.

[andrewo]

No, I advise good quantities of muck, when forcing, I put an old tub over the crown and then partially bury the tub with manure, heaping it around the sides. This does two things, it raises the heat inside the tub and spurs the rhubarb into forcing earlier and then the manure feeds the crown. I always use manure and have used pellets before and comfrey feed. Compost is a good to feed them in Autumn but no good for spring.

[Sanjo]

Could I also please sort of highjack this thread. My rhubarb must be about 15 years old and does not fruit prolifically. I don't do anything with it to feed it. As it is so old, could I give it a boost just with a good manure feed, should I dig it up and split it or should I replace it? When it went into the ground we did prepare the site very well but over the years, it tends to get left out because its way out at the bottom of the garden among the gooseberries., Advice would be appreciated please.

[Polly Fouracre]

Dig it up, discard the woody inner bit and re-plant the outer bits, making sure each one has an imminent shoot or "eye". Your rhubarb is just worn out!

[andrewo]

Yeah, you need to dig up and split as Polly says, they really need splitting every five years, they get tired and the centres rot. The good news is that you'll get more crowns for your labour! You need to treat and of the split crowns, as one year old crowns and leave for a season to bed in and grow with a good feed of manure.