Coming from oop north, where rhubarb, unnamed was passed from house to house. I now find I get no free gifts and can only buy Timperley Early, or seeds. However, worse, the rhubarb plants from sveral sources just peter out and die on me. It should grow like a weed. Not cropped beyond July. I suspect honey fungus, but no proof.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Possibly over-use of a forcing pot, or possibly too much fertiliser when newly planted, and too shady a spot … or a combination of both.
I would think that next year the plant will settle to its new home and grow a bit slower … don’t use a forcing pot until the plant is established (about 3 years).
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Back to original question. I found that a well established rhubarb will tolerate being over picked for a year or two, but eventually you will start to see a deterioration. As a newbie, I thought this was some sort of disease or that it was too old. But as has been said above, they live for decades if cared for. I now start picking when the stems look good and stop at roughly the end of June.
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.
Emerion. I once lived in a company flat in the NE. Another company couple lived upstairs. We inherited a rhubarb corner in the garden. Two other company couples next door also laid claim to OUR rhubarb.
If you got up early you got a harvest. After about a month the plant was exhausted.
Nobody harvested THEIR plum tree except me.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
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"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
However, worse, the rhubarb plants from sveral sources just peter out and die on me. It should grow like a weed. Not cropped beyond July.
I suspect honey fungus, but no proof.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Possibly over-use of a forcing pot, or possibly too much fertiliser when newly planted, and too shady a spot … or a combination of both.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
If you got up early you got a harvest. After about a month the plant was exhausted.
Nobody harvested THEIR plum tree except me.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."