Rhubarb question

lovehedgehogs

I am baffled. Does any genius on here know why my rhubarb does not go red. I can’t remember the name of the rhubarb but I buy the same one at each house. It definitely is supposed to go red, it’s definitely not a green rhubarb. Each year I give it the benefit of the doubt, too young, next year still young, next year - hmmmm still young. Ok so enough’s enough! Year 6  a good crop. I stop it flowering by snapping off flowers. It’s in full sunlight. Very heavy clay soil - is this the reason? It’s watered well but it’s very established. Loads of leaves and stalks but as green as grass! In all my other houses the same rhubarb has been amazing and I’ve totally historically neglected it! Thank you if you have got this far!

twopenny

Perhaps the variety was wrongly labled.

There are green ones that taste much the same. Have you tried it for taste?

Must say you are very patient to wait 6yrs!

The best I ever grew was slung for disposal on a heap of stone over a largely clay soil. It dug itself in and grew enormous for years. So I'm thinking it's not the soil.

greyteam1959

Dr google suggests that ph might be your problem.
https://food.onehowto.com/article/why-doesn-t-my-rhubarb-turn-red-10552.html
P.S.
My rhubarb has done really badly this year possibly because of the dry weather.

lovehedgehogs

twopenny said:

Perhaps the variety was wrongly labled.

There are green ones that taste much the same. Have you tried it for taste?

Must say you are very patient to wait 6yrs!

The best I ever grew was slung for disposal on a heap of stone over a largely clay soil. It dug itself in and grew enormous for years. So I'm thinking it's not the soil.

Well that’s a possibility. I have always totally neglected rhubarb. Maybe I should buy some more. The stalks are thin and wispy. Maybe I should just buy more 😊

twopenny

It definitely doesn't sound happy. Have you added any compost to lighten the soil or fed it? It's a very hungry plant.

And with the dry heat we get in summers in a clay soil it may be thirsty too.

Thin stems may be overcrowding. Thin out and eat?

lovehedgehogs

twopenny said:

It definitely doesn't sound happy. Have you added any compost to lighten the soil or fed it? It's a very hungry plant.

And with the dry heat we get in summers in a clay soil it may be thirsty too.

Thin stems may be overcrowding. Thin out and eat?

Hi thank you. No I haven’t. What do I feed it with? Chicken manure pellets any good? Normally I’ve so neglected rhubarb - right I shall thin it out. Thank you. 

twopenny

Now garden centres are open you could take a stalk down there and ask if they know the varieties

Just for now I'd water it well, feed it with an standard stuff, something like MiracleGrow is the cheapest and quickest. Chicken pellets are great but tend to cost more. There's Growmore that's general and takes a few weeks and Blood, Fish & Bone which plants love.

empty a Tomato growbag round it after (they're the cheapest from the supermarket) to keep the moisture in the soil.

I found these items that appear to be the same in the cheapie shops are rubbish and false ecconomy.

You don't want to spend too much until you see if it makes a difference.

The compost will lighten up the clay soil hopefully but with everything so dry it will take some time for it to work down.

If you see any improvement that gives you hope a bag of horticultural sand and one of small stone and work that round this autumn to break up the clay a bit in that area.

I did that with my new garden where the land has never been cultivated and it's whatever the builders left 20yrs ago. The clay areas I dug and mixed in bagged compost, bonemeal, sand and grit. I was stunned just how well those things grew.

So pick and choose what you think will help. Try a few things and see what happens. Gardening's full of surprises.

lovehedgehogs

twopenny said:

Now garden centres are open you could take a stalk down there and ask if they know the varieties

Just for now I'd water it well, feed it with an standard stuff, something like MiracleGrow is the cheapest and quickest. Chicken pellets are great but tend to cost more. There's Growmore that's general and takes a few weeks and Blood, Fish & Bone which plants love.

empty a Tomato growbag round it after (they're the cheapest from the supermarket) to keep the moisture in the soil.

I found these items that appear to be the same in the cheapie shops are rubbish and false ecconomy.

You don't want to spend too much until you see if it makes a difference.

The compost will lighten up the clay soil hopefully but with everything so dry it will take some time for it to work down.

If you see any improvement that gives you hope a bag of horticultural sand and one of small stone and work that round this autumn to break up the clay a bit in that area.

I did that with my new garden where the land has never been cultivated and it's whatever the builders left 20yrs ago. The clay areas I dug and mixed in bagged compost, bonemeal, sand and grit. I was stunned just how well those things grew.

So pick and choose what you think will help. Try a few things and see what happens. Gardening's full of surprises.

Thank you very much for such a comprehensive reply!