Rhubarb Help...

[Grovsey]

Hello - this is my first post!!

I panted a rhubarb crown with 2 leaves 5 weeks ago and the existing leaves haven�t changed size. I have one new leaf that has stopped growing and that is it.....

Any ideas?

Is it also true that you should not eat the first year�s crop?

So much to learn!!!!!!!

Thanks
Andrew

[Flummery]

Hi and welcome Andrew. It probably needs a bit of time to get some roots down. As long as the leaves haven't actually died I'd not worry. As to eating it in the first year - see what you get. If it has a huge crop you could pull a few stalks but you are really wanting to get the plant established initially. I'd prefer to plant/move crowns in winter rather than when they are actively growing but give it a chance. It should be ok. Mainly - panic not!

[Alison]

I put a new crown in earlier this year when it was basicallly pretty dead looking but within a week or so leaves appeared and it's looking pretty good now (although something does seem to be eating it's leaves!). Perhaps as Flum says it can't cope with settling the roots and shoots at the same time. It won't be a properly mature plant this year anyway as you should let it get established rather than crop from it so it's got until next year to get going!

[terrier]

My newish Rhubarb made good growth early this year and then promptly bolted. I cut off the flower stalks and started watering like mad every day. It did very little for a few weeks but has now restarted growing normaly

[Grovsey]

how do you know if rhubarb has bolted?

[TPeers]

You get a really fat bud in the centre of the plant that pushes up on a stem, never opening as a leaf, after a while you can see a bumpy texture inder the surface of the bud and the bud will split to show the flower. It is widly help that this is of detrement to the plant - not being a rhubard aficionado I have no particular opinion.

[Flummery]

If you do get it flowering, chop it off. The plant doesn't suffer overall. In certain circumstances mine have flowered some years (generally stress and/or drought) and they're still in the ground and doing well.