Pathetic Rhubarb

[veggiechicken]

Marb's previous thread about this rhubarb - merged with this one.



The good news is - you thought it was dying in 2016 and its still alive.

[Sylvan]

Some of my rhubarb leaves were eaten almost to lace last year. I eventually found an earwig lurking there, cackling maniacally. Could that be what you have?

[Nicos]

I'd go with earwig damage too.

[Marb67]

That container is well big enough. I have a gardenng book about growing veg in containers and the one they use for rhubarb is much smaller. Never seen any earwigs in my garden and didn’t know they made holes in rhubarb leaf.

[Marb67]

Pathetic Rhubarb

Well I just for the life of me cannot understand why my Victoria rhubarb is growing so pathetically in a large container, fed and in good, deep compost in an old header tank. I have seen better rhubarb in much smaller containers do much better. It just wilts pathetically.

[4Shoes]

Needs lot of organic material to retain moisture and encourage growth. A good 6" Muck in the bottom and mulch round the top. Doesn't like to be too dry.

[Marb67]

Ok, thanks. As it is not that practical to put muck under it, could I put rotting compost from the bin on the top and let the worms drag it down over winter ?

[bario1]

A bag of farmyard manure from the GC might be better Marb?

[veggiechicken]

Marb, I've merged this with your previous threads as, I think, its the same rhubarb in the same water tank.
If I'm wrong, please say and I'll un-merge it.

Just thinking that the earlier advice may be relevant.

PS Most of my rhubarb has died back for the winter now.

Another thought - have you covered the crown with compost as its supposed to be exposed - or it rots.

[Marb67]

I put the compost over it a couple of days ago VC. It hasn't been covered until now.

[veggiechicken]

Scrape it back off the crown, Marb, before the forecast heavy rain arrives tonight.

[bikermike]

Every plot in our site has Rhubarb, I think it might have been issued at some point...

It's always at the damp shady end of a plot - is yours getting too much sun?
One of my favourite lines in Wikipedia (written, I assume, by a Lancastrian) "Rhubarb is a native of Siberia and thrives in the wet cold winters in Yorkshire"

Also, the dry windy weather has really nailed mine hard this year - apparently the big leaves means it really dries out fast in the wind.

[Lumpy]

Heelo Marb,
I started a thread because I have the exact opposite to you. My onknown variety of rhubarb (plant stall at a village show for 50p) is an absolute triffid. It gets loads of sun in the summer but spends half the year in the shade. I don't feed it or pander in any other way. It is planted in the ground next to a fence.
I suppose you could uncover the crown and pull off the leaves and then see what it does next year.