Moving rhubarb now?

[steveadlem]

Hi

I am new forum member and also a new owner of an allotment plot. I need to move some rhubarb plants that I inherited with the plot.

I really need to move them now (end of June/early July) but is this going to be detrimental to them?

One or two of the plants seem very well established with some nice chunky rhubarb growing and there are a few that seem quite small.

While trying to move them, can I split to make more plants?

Any help and advice in what to do will be much appreciated.

Thanks
Steve

[roitelet]

Hi Steve, welcome to the vine. It is not a good time to move Rhubarb or I fact anything that is actively growing. Much better to wait until things are dormant ie late autumn or winter. If you are desperate and don't mind possibly loosing the plant you could try and move one of the smaller roots now. However enjoy the Rhubarb that is being produced. When you do move them you can split the roots but you should not use any of the stems in the first year to allow the plants to build themselves up.

[Martin H]

I moved mine in mid June last year. I replanted big chunks of root leaving just 2 or 3 leaves on each and I cut most of the leaf off to stop it losing moisture.

To begin with, all the existing leaves and stems shrivelled up and died. But then after a few weeks it put some new leaves on. Here's a pic from this time last year:

http://haddersm.files.wordpress.com/...ost-corner.jpg

It was slow to get going this spring but now it looks fine. Here's my most recent pic:

https://haddersm.files.wordpress.com...622_135534.jpg

Good luck!

[Penellype]

Rhubarb is pretty tough stuff. I dug mine up to make a new raised bed in February, just after it started producing leaves, and because the roots were far too big for the place I wanted to put it, I chopped through them to make it fit (some of the roots were a good 2-3 inches thick). It stalled for a while but its now absolutely fine and you wouldn't know anything had been done to it.

[mrbadexample]

I'd be inclined to agree. It might not like it, but it's pretty unlikely to die.