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Rhubarb regrets?

turmericturmeric Posts: 830
in Plants

I've planted a rhubarb crown in a very large pot along with Trachelospermum and a standard rose (don't ask but they do fit and all are thriving). Today I've noticed that the rhubarb is absolutely smothered in ants but there are none on the rose or the trachelospermum.  Does rhubarb give off something? There are no aphids on it just thousands of ants on and over the crown, the leaves and the stems.  Is this normal with rhubarb as it looks awful and is making me itchy.  What should I do?

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,087

    Ants in numbers indicate the compost is too dry and they are nesting in it.  Their tunnel complexes will mean that you have plant roots hanging in thin air and your plants will start to suffer from lack of food and moisture.

    Give the compost a really good soak, adding a small bottle of essential oil of cloves to every 5 litres of water and they will go away as they don't like the smell.

    Consider re-potting the rhubarb or planting it out as it really does need loads more water than the rose and trachelospermum.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Hi jekylandhide. I am curious about the size of the pot! It is not usual for rhubarb to have such an ant cover but I suspect that the ants have moved into your pot too. Check your plants for aphids as ants 'farm' these because they love the sticky secretions the ants exude. They will carry aphids up and down plants and from one plant to another.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328

    Obelixx, thanks for the tip re oil of cloves.  Never heard of that for warding off ants - but definitely approve of a deterrent rather than a poison.

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,087

    Good luck.   Works for me.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • turmericturmeric Posts: 830

    Many thanks obelixx and Ladybird4.  I found the nest, it's actually 3 metres away.  They were coming all the way across the patio and up the pot!  I am going to drench the pot tonight and see if we have any clove oil to add too.  It's the rhubarb's first year so I haven't harvested any shoots but once it goes dormant I shall rethink the pot as I'm realising that it may not work long term. Many thanks, jandh

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