It had two leaves on it when I planted it but one shriveled and died. As you say - not a lot I can do. I will leave it to it's own devises and you never know it might suddenly perk up. It did seem a bit pot bound, but I have known people keep rhubarb in pots for some years and they have been OK. I'll ask around the other allotment holders and see if anyone is dividing one up.
Autumn will be the time - the problem will be that you can't take a crop from a crown divided and planted the previous autumn. If you want rhubarb next spring I'd try to get a well-grown plant now and plant it out now.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It amazes me how small and miserable the crowns for sale in gardencenters are.
That's the size they should be, with enough stored energy to produce a good crop of healthy leaves in year one and a good crop for picking in year two.
We had trouble with Rhubarb growing it in the ground because we have a lot of rain and it got water logged. The picture shows how we solve this. It is lined with plastic. and filled with compost from the recycling centre. We do use plenty of manure in the Autumn, We do water if it is a dry summer.
I think Rhubarb likes to be planted on a raised area with plenty of Organic Matter,
South facing away from trees and North Winds. If you think the Rhubarb Crowns were not good enough from the garden centre take them back and see what they say.
When I bought mine on a Farmers Market they were in pots already growing so you could see what you were paying for.
I have 7 different varieties some of which I forced under large black compost bins!
The forced lot was fine , I sell it at the WI market, but the rest never came to much this season, most of the unforced lot went limp and has now fallen over!
This is the first year that this has occurred!
The roots sold in GCs are a disgrace re guarding size,they could hardly cut them any smaller if they tried!
I bought some in a sale for 50p a packet, it took 4 years till I got decent sized plants!
I've been looking up rhubarb. First found on the banks of the river Volga in Siberia so it likes cold and wet. So it can't be rain that upset mine. Mine probably doesn't grow because I live in Dordogne where it is hot and dry in summer. In fact I've only ever once seen it for sale here, to eat, not the plant, I mean.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
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Here we are Dove taken from the other side. The darker brown soil is the soil it was potted in. The crown is at the bottom of the leaf on the right.
That really doesn't look very healthy does it
If it had Crown Rot when you got it, it shouldn't have been looking healthy then - and I can't see that you've done anything to damage it.
I think I'd leave it a bit and give it a chance - but I'd hedge my bets and get another one as well. Everyone needs two clumps of rhubarb
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It had two leaves on it when I planted it but one shriveled and died. As you say - not a lot I can do. I will leave it to it's own devises and you never know it might suddenly perk up. It did seem a bit pot bound, but I have known people keep rhubarb in pots for some years and they have been OK. I'll ask around the other allotment holders and see if anyone is dividing one up.
Autumn will be the time - the problem will be that you can't take a crop from a crown divided and planted the previous autumn. If you want rhubarb next spring I'd try to get a well-grown plant now and plant it out now.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It amazes me how small and miserable the crowns for sale in gardencenters are.
That's the size they should be, with enough stored energy to produce a good crop of healthy leaves in year one and a good crop for picking in year two.
We had trouble with Rhubarb growing it in the ground because we have a lot of rain and it got water logged. The picture shows how we solve this. It is lined with plastic. and filled with compost from the recycling centre. We do use plenty of manure in the Autumn, We do water if it is a dry summer.
I think Rhubarb likes to be planted on a raised area with plenty of Organic Matter,
South facing away from trees and North Winds. If you think the Rhubarb Crowns were not good enough from the garden centre take them back and see what they say.
When I bought mine on a Farmers Market they were in pots already growing so you could see what you were paying for.
I have 7 different varieties some of which I forced under large black compost bins!
The forced lot was fine , I sell it at the WI market, but the rest never came to much this season, most of the unforced lot went limp and has now fallen over!
This is the first year that this has occurred!
The roots sold in GCs are a disgrace re guarding size,they could hardly cut them any smaller if they tried!
I bought some in a sale for 50p a packet, it took 4 years till I got decent sized plants!
Cheers!
I've been looking up rhubarb. First found on the banks of the river Volga in Siberia so it likes cold and wet. So it can't be rain that upset mine. Mine probably doesn't grow because I live in Dordogne where it is hot and dry in summer. In fact I've only ever once seen it for sale here, to eat, not the plant, I mean.