Moving rhubarb

[TrixC]

I want to move a couple of rhubarb plants to make room for a new impulse purchase . I know I ideally should have done this back in autumn but is it going to kill them to try to move them now? Both have started emerging, one only just and the other is about ready for the first harvest.

[Jay-ell]

It was later than this last year when I dug up a plant, hit it with a spade and replanted the parts. One bit died in summer off but the other 6 are coming back now. 7 if you include the old root on the discard pile that has sprouted as well - I should have forced that bit

[sparrow100]

I shifted mine later than this - all fine, but I didn't pick any from the shifted plants for a year.

[TrixC]

I shifted mine later than this - all fine, but I didn't pick any from the shifted plants for a year.

Hmm, I don't really fancy going without rhubarb all year, maybe I can just move one of the plants for now, plant the new tree in that spot, and move the other, larger plant in the autumn after it dies back.

[Bigmallly]

I would think you would be ok as long as you can get as big a rootball as possible so it doesn't know that it is being moved.........................a bit like moving house & taking it with you...............

[veggiechicken]

Hmm, I don't really fancy going without rhubarb all year, maybe I can just move one of the plants for now, plant the new tree in that spot, and move the other, larger plant in the autumn after it dies back.

Put the tree in a pot until autumn and leave the rhubarb in situ?

[TrixC]

Put the tree in a pot until autumn and leave the rhubarb in situ?

Could do, but then I'd have to find space for it at home, I'd be too worried it would walk from my plot if portable. I also think trees suffer in pots unless on very dwarfing rootstocks.

[veggiechicken]

Any chance you could tell us what the tree is? I'm curious.

[Baldy]

Move one leave one sounds safest. I've got 3 - two victoria and one timperly early - I recon the timperly would take anything I threw at it and just carry on - the victoria are a bit more needy... but they are generally pretty tough plants. Good luck with whatever you go for.

[fishpond]

If you are thinking of digging up a rhubarb root complete, you will need access to a JCB.

[TrixC]

Any chance you could tell us what the tree is? I'm curious.

It's a white cherry, variety Vega. Apparently not so attractive to our avian friends as the red ones. It's a 2-3 year old tree, not a maiden, so I think it'll be too large to be comfortable in a pot. There seem to be mixed reports on fertility, but it looks like it will be pollinated by my morello cherry anyway.

[TrixC]

If you are thinking of digging up a rhubarb root complete, you will need access to a JCB.

Ha! The plants are quite young and not too massive yet, so I was hoping it might be possible without heavy machinery.

[ESBkevin]

I dug up some huge rhubarb roots last autumn and they've been laying on the surface being chopped up every few weeks ever since. Part of it shows no signs of dying off!

[BUFFS]

I dug up some huge rhubarb roots last autumn and they've been laying on the surface being chopped up every few weeks ever since. Part of it shows no signs of dying off!

We found 13 crowns buried under weeds when we moved in and because I needed the space for a greenhouse that could only be sited there. I lifted and split them and l gave a load away, then OH said "you do realise you still have 13 crowns", so having worked so hard on them there are still the same number now..

[cheops]

I moved a rhubarb crown which had only been in place for a year. I was amazed at some of the the roots over an inch thick and tapering to a point and over two foot long. I just chopped off a couple of the biggest tapering roots like you would amputate aliens' limbs and the plant carried on robustly growing in its new home.