Am I way too late to plant a rhubarb crown?

otterspasm

Hi all,

I was hoping to put in a rhubarb crown on my allotment this year but haven't got the ground prepared yet and it is still covered in snow with more forecast. If I assume the snow clears and ground thaws in 2 weeks time and then I need to dig in some organic matter 4 weeks before planting, that would take me to mid-feb before planting. Just too late?

What do you think?

Cheers
Tess

PharmaAl

No not too late to plant, I have mine in pots really to go in when weather gets better. But you shouldn't pull any in the first year, let it settle in, then next year you can pull some sticks. The year after you should have a great clump and can put from when you get the first growth until mid to end of July.
Don't forget if you force it for an early crop let it rest for the remainder of the season.
Can't wait for better weather so I can get to the allotment!

otterspasm

Thanks! I hadn't thought of putting the crown in a pot when I get it, ready to go in after the thaw. I am doing lots of planning in lieu of being able to get down to the allotment .

otterspasm

Just out of curiosity, is it possible to grow rhubarb successfully in a pot?

squack

otterspasm wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, is it possible to grow rhubarb successfully in a pot?

Sure, if it's a big pot ... with those big leaves you would have to make sure it had enough water in the summer, also keep an eye out for vine weevil grubs eating the crowns or them rotting off in the winter if badly drained and waterlogged... they prefer to be in the ground really, even in the useless area behind the shed at the bottom of the garden :money:

conradmum

Otterspasm (great username! ) you don't have to dig organic matter in four weeks before planting. That's just some good advice. You can dig organic matter in the same day that you plant (as long as it isn't fresh manure, and even that probably wouldn't kill rhubarb) or you could not dig in any at all.

When we moved into our current house I moved some weak and spindly rhubarb from one side of the garden to the other. I just roughly dug it out, tearing off most of the roots, then roughly dug it in again in its new location. I didn't really care whether it survived, it just seemed a shame not to give it a chance.

Nine years later and I have a massive rhubarb clump. I cut off a lump for my sister a few weeks ago and roots were 4/5 inches in diameter. I do nothing to it, no manure, nothing, and it grows like billyho.

Rhubarb is tough stuff. Like most things in gardening, the best treatment for it is to be ignored! Just give it a year or two to grow before taking anything (and especially don't force it as is suggested in the gardening programmes before it's growing strongly).

saveman

no you are not to late, and if you want to 'force them' you can grow them in pots in the dark and they will sprout (very pale) and then go red after sunlight gets on them

otterspasm

Thanks for the story about your rhubarb conradmum! It has filled me with confidence that I can just get on with it once the snow has gone .

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I have been gardening for a few years but have never grown rhubarb (in fact there are thousands of things I've never grown ) and a bit of advice/experience goes a long way.

saveman

otterspasm wrote: »

Thanks for the story about your rhubarb conradmum! It has filled me with confidence that I can just get on with it once the snow has gone .

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I have been gardening for a few years but have never grown rhubarb (in fact there are thousands of things I've never grown ) and a bit of advice/experience goes a long way.

forgot if you fertilise with bonemeal it will last for 12-18" months as its a slow release fertilizer

TravellingAbuela

When we redesigned our garden and laid a patio there was a rhubarb plant in the way. OH dug it up and threw it at the top of the garden out of the way. We never got round to re-planting it and forgot about it till the next Spring when it grew as normal, even though laid on top of the soil! I guess they are pretty hard to kill?!

otterspasm

When we redesigned our garden and laid a patio there was a rhubarb plant in the way. OH dug it up and threw it at the top of the garden out of the way. We never got round to re-planting it and forgot about it till the next Spring when it grew as normal, even though laid on top of the soil! I guess they are pretty hard to kill?!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Even I might manage to grow it then