Rhubarb

TheScottishGardener · March 2021

I was given rhubarb at the end of last Summer/very early Autumn and just stuck it directly into the ground into quite a rich soil veggie patch - a very no frills approach I know. To begin with a few skinny stalks came up, which I left and they eventually died back... nothing since.

I just wanted to know if that can be considered normal and can rhubarb be quite a sulky plant once first planted? I've obviously left it since it went in anyway, but when could (or should) I expect to see new growth come up? Inexperienced with rhubarb so I'm not sure where I am going wrong - if at all.

Ceres · March 2021

Rhubarb is a tough customer in general. It dies down over winter and should start to reappear about now but it can depend on the variety you are growing. Mine is just starting to sprout and it will partially die down again after the first glorious growth, then it has a second spurt of growth later in the season. If it is happy where it is growing, there is little you can do to keep it in check. It will take a couple of seasons to get established and it is recommended that you don't pick the stalks in its first season.

PurpleRose · March 2021

Over winter, it will die down completely. If I didn't know any better, I would think my crowns would look dead.

Over the past week, I have started to see a few signs of life. They do tend to grow quite fast (or mine do anyway). When picking, dont take more than a third of the stalks at each one time even though it can be quite tempting.

bertrand-mabel · March 2021

Our rhubarb dies right back in the winter but it is now about 9inches tall with its new growth.

It has been in the garden for many many years and has had a good garden compost put over it every year.

Agree with @PurpleRose take care when picking.

Interesting reading at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb_Triangle

TheScottishGardener · March 2021

Thanks all for your insights.

@bertrand-mabel sounds concerning that you have 9" stalks and I've yet to see a shoot peek up through the soil! I can only hope it will happen over the next few weeks.

Dovefromabove · March 2021

Don’t panic 😊 ... some varieties are earlier than others.

We grow Timperly Early which, as it’s name suggests, will be ready to start picking very soon.

Other varieties can be quite a bit later.

TheScottishGardener · March 2021

Thanks for the reassurance @Dovefromabove, I guess it would be beneficial to know my variety but as it goes with plants you inherit, quite often it's a mystery for the first while.
I'm going to just leave it where it is and if nothing comes of it this year I'll maybe rethink its position in the Autumn.

Skandi · March 2021

Also being further north has a big baring on it, my rhubarb is not showing anything yet. It will we just have to be patient.

nick615 · March 2021

If it's any help, mine was covered all winter with 9-12 inches of farmyard manure. Today we raked some of it off and there underneath were the crowns poking through. Now, I'm in the balmy SW of Ireland where everything's earlier than other regions like Scotland.

dappledshade · March 2021

Wouldn’t rhubarb is a tough old bird.
We’re in London and ours has just started to poke out it’s reddish crown in the last week or so, so if you’re in Scotland, it could take a while longer!

Obelixx · March 2021

In our Belgian garden we always had to wait till the end of March, beginning of April for the first signs of rhubarb life because winters were longer, colder and wetter than here so I think you need a bit more patience yet a while.

Rhubarb

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