Rhubarb getting it going in new home.

ericmark · 27 Mar 2020

I went to old house hacked off a lump of crown, with stems and leaves, and have brought to new house, found crown was on small and one large, planted larger one on top of a slopping garden with compost from council skip site, and smaller one on flat bit bottom of garden again with loads of council compost.

The idea was to leave first year and let it get established, and to visit old house, now with son living there to get supplies this year, however with the virus travelling the 100 miles return just for rhubarb is out, we thought two weeks and it would be all over, clearly that is not the case.

So how can I help get it started faster? I have some more compost left so could put more on top, and how much water does it need? Had the virus not been around I would have simply left it doing its own thing, if it died I would just chop off another lump, and try again, however in the past it has grown to new plant without a problem, so it was simply going to be forget it now and see how it does, but now with virus want to get it going ASAP.

So any advice please.

Mottie · 27 Mar 2020

No idea but in January I moved a whole a whole rhubarb plant from one part of my allotment, split it into 4 pieces and replanted in another position and it seems to be doing fine. Haven’t fed it with anything.

HERTS P&D · 27 Mar 2020

Did you talk to it Mottie? If so, some might say that you gave it verbal diarrhoea? Which in turn was food for the plant. Hence the good growth rate.

Andy

JohnD · 27 Mar 2020

If you have planted it fairly deep, I don't think you need to do anything. It should not need extra water because it does not have excessive leaves. Try not to crop it in the first year, and keep weeds away so it has plenty of light.

Sometimes they die and rot for no apparent reason.

ADONAI · 30 Mar 2020

mulch around it,ensure its got decent drainage (nothing radical) and dont crop it this year.should be fine.

if risk of frost,maybe put some loose straw around the base .

ericmark · 30 Mar 2020

Thank you all, large crown seems to have settled, with a new leaf growing, the small one the existing leaf is withering and as yet no signs of it getting established, but time yet, stopped watering now, just crossing fingers.

HawkEye244 · 1 Apr 2020

Rhubarb will take a season to get established now it's been transplanted. You won't get anything from it this year.
In terms of water, you can't water enough.
I would leave the hose on it for 10 minutes or so each day for a week or two.
If you can provide it some shade it will love it. My rhubarb growns on the east side of my shed, so by 1pm it's in shade, and does very well.
Keep in mind that all perennials are long lasting plants. They take a long time to get established because they are there to last. Not like an annual.

scbk · 1 Apr 2020

There's still time to plant rhubarb seeds this year, but you might struggle to buy the seeds! You wouldn't be able to harvest for atleast a year.

ericmark · 2 Apr 2020

I have not seen my rhubarb bolt and produce seeds for a long time, it has happened in the past, but not ever grown rhubarb from seed. Same with potatoes, always planted potatoes to get more, I am told a granny smith apple tree can only be called granny smith if grown from a cutting, planting seeds means it is no longer the same tree, pollen could have come from another tree.

Mottie · 2 Apr 2020

ericmark said:
I have not seen my rhubarb bolt and produce seeds for a long time, it has happened in the past, but not ever grown rhubarb from seed. Same with potatoes, always planted potatoes to get more, I am told a granny smith apple tree can only be called granny smith if grown from a cutting, planting seeds means it is no longer the same tree, pollen could have come from another tree.

I was told by the secretary of our allotment that the same applies to particular strains of tomatoes or other fruits unless they are the only tomatoes grown in a greenhouse. Makes sense to me, never thought about it before.

I know with seeds that have F1 on the packet, you will know exactly what you are getting because they use one particular plant to pollinate another to get a plant that may be resistant to pests/grow to a certain size etc. Anything else grown from the seeds of that plant may not necessarily be the same fruit.

ericmark · 2 Apr 2020

I have one rhubarb clearly getting established and growing a new leaf, the other the single stem has not completely withered away, but it is very placid. But it is early days, and getting loads of exercise going out to look at it. It really does not matter if it does die, as unlikely to get any rhubarb this year, and by next year travel restrictions will be lifted and I could visit old house to pull rhubarb, and to be frank every year trees covered in apples, and loads of blue berries and rhubarb, and most of it feeds wasps and birds.

scbk · 2 Apr 2020

ericmark said:
I have not seen my rhubarb bolt and produce seeds for a long time, it has happened in the past, but not ever grown rhubarb from seed. Same with potatoes, always planted potatoes to get more, I am told a granny smith apple tree can only be called granny smith if grown from a cutting, planting seeds means it is no longer the same tree, pollen could have come from another tree.

I've done glaskins perputal from seed, it's very easy, and I'm not much of a gardener! I've got some sown this year, just to finish off the last of the seed as it's a few years old now

scbk · 2 Apr 2020

Lonely little rhubarb, sown a couple of weeks ago I think

At last count I've got about 15 rhubarb plants already in the garden

ericmark · 5 Apr 2020

Well one has no sign of life

the leaf looks no change from when planted, with no new growth, the other

has new growth, so seems it will progress, however can't see me pulling from it this year.

EddieM · 5 Apr 2020

Got my first experience of growing Rhubarb as a young boy. I hate the stuff, absolutely disgusting, but my parents like it so we had some in the garden. One day to try and stem the flow of revolting Rhubarb desserts I dug it up, chopped it into pieces and buried it. To my dismay it absolutely thrived due to my actions, doubling or tripling its crop the next season

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Rhubarb getting it going in new home.

ericmark

Mottie

HERTS P&D

JohnD

ADONAI

ericmark

HawkEye244

scbk

ericmark

Mottie

ericmark

scbk

scbk

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