Rhubarb Problem

[danmon_81]

I bought a healthy crown 2 weeks ago....timperley...its in a large pot but seems to be doing rather bad....stalks are sprouting through getting to 1" then wilting back??? Is this just because its putting energy into root growth? I know i wont be harvesting till next year...but i thought Rhubarb was supposed to be easy???

cheers

Dan

[Paulottie]

What is the nightime temperature there?..(try covering at night)

Make sure they are not too wet...preferably plant out with top of crown at ground level and pleanty of muck underneath.

[danmon_81]

currently about 2/3*c....plenty of muck in there and i've top dressed with F/B/B.....I've no room in the ground for it so its pot bound im afraid.

[Sanjo]

I bought a healthy crown 2 weeks ago....timperley...its in a large pot but seems to be doing rather bad....stalks are sprouting through getting to 1" then wilting back??? Is this just because its putting energy into root growth? I know i wont be harvesting till next year...but i thought Rhubarb was supposed to be easy???

cheers

Dan

I did exactly this last year, even to posting for advice because mine went the same way as yours.
It seemed to disappear completely but just as I was giving up and thinking I might as well empty the tub and use it for something else, a little bit of life appeared late in the summer.
I top dressed with rotted manure in winter and it has been slower to come back than the 25 year old plant in the ground but the stems are short and strong looking.
I might leave it this year and count it as its first year and hope that another year building up the root will stand it in good stead for the future.
I can then brave digging up the very old one and see if I can breathe new life in to a bit of it.

[Maddie106]

Just keep watering it, till it gets going.

Yes , rhubarb IS easy when you get it established, but I'd suggest not taking too much next year....nurture it a bit for now!
I only like forced ruhbarb, but you can only do this to established plants every 3 years.