Rhubarb Rhubarb!

Marg

We planted a new rhubarb crown this summer and it thrived. :j

In accordance with instructions we resisted picking any to eat but in the last few days we've noticed that it has 'flopped' over.

We are novices and wonder
a) if that is normal for rhubarb at this time of the year?
b) do we still leave it alone? - seems a shame to waste it
c) could or should we cut it back - if so at what level? ground or the leaves.
d) I've seen mention of covering it for the winter - with earth or what please? (Oh & I know not to cover with custard)

Thank you

katiel

The great thing about rhubarb in my experience is that you don't have to do anything with it except pick some when the time is right and eat it. Now's not the time to be picking - early summer is. If yours behaves like mine it will disappear pretty much altogether over the winter. No need to do any cutting back. I guess if you're somewhere cold you might need to protect it with straw or something similar? I'm in Surrey and I do nothing. If only the rest of the garden were as easy...

meanmarie

we cover ours with grass cuttings or farmyard manure as a fertiliser, it will sink down over winter and come back in spring, as Katiel says, ignore it and its fine

Marie

john96

Rhubarb, and pumpkin must be the easiest things to grow in a garden.

Farway

If it is flopping it may be dry. I know mine is when it flops [Hampshire BTW]

Just water the beast

No need to do anything special for winter, it will die down of it's own accord and come again next spring

TonyMMM

My rhubarb has almost disappeared now .... it natuarally dies back in the autumn.

If it has been healthy during the summer, it will come back stronger next year - just leave it now (or mulch with some good compost/manure) and feed/water well in the spring when it emerges.

Gopppers

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have too, only this year planted a new rhubarb plant early this summer. It has thrived, so much so that the space in which we put it in is too small. Would it be best to move it once all the foliage and stems have died down over winter?? At the moment it's still in full swing, no ideas when its going to "die down"

Gops x

Farway

Gopppers wrote: »

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have too, only this year planted a new rhubarb plant early this summer. It has thrived, so much so that the space in which we put it in is too small. Would it be best to move it once all the foliage and stems have died down over winter?? At the moment it's still in full swing, no ideas when its going to "die down"

Gops x

Fine to move it in winter, however you will have to treat it a "new" plant & not crop it in 2011

If it is very vigorous it may just be possible to split the crown & get two plants from it, only you can judge this by size of the crown once you dig it up

madforsavings

I have read your replies to the original post but I'm still not sure they've answered my question so please bear with me.
I bought a rhubarb plant earlier this year and to start with it seemed to be doing ok, the odd leaf turned brown, now this maybe where I'm going wrong,so I pulled it off.
Right now, back end of September, the plant looks dreadful it actually looks like it won't survive, thin stems, leaves that are holey and eventually turn yellow.
Please help I don't want it to die

oliveoyl

@ madfor... the whole plant will die back over winter... until all that you will see is a scruffy brown tuft sticking out of the soil.

Some of your leaves might have gone brown because of the lack of rain, rhubarb likes damp, but I'm sure it will come back, they are hard to kill once established. Give it some feed and forget about it until next spring.

Marg

madforsavings - As you can see I asked the original question so am no expert but from the answers I've had I think that's what should be happening about now. Next spring/early summer you will want to eat the new sticks that appear anyway. I'd say, once it's died back enough cover it with compost or horse manure.

Others more experienced will no doubt be along with better advice later.