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Rhubarb

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cdchater:
Hello

I've inherited a rather large rhubarb on my new lottie and it's been neglected - very overgrown and looks pretty dead! (going all brown). Is this what it does in autumn? And what's the best thing to do with it? Should I cut it right down, hoping it will grow back next year?

Any help/advise gratefully received....my hubby will be most disappointed if he doesn't get any rhubarb crumble next year!

Regards,
claire

allotment_chick:
Hi Claire
Mine looks like this too - I'm hoping it is just the heat!

I'd advise you to tidy it up and dump as much manure on it as it is possible, keeping the 'crown' clear as this is where next years buds will be.

We are particularly fond of rhubarb 'mess' - made the same as eton mess, but with gently cooked rhubarb instead of strawberries - yum....

gavin:
Hi cdchater - good advice there;  lots of well-rotted manure, or compost - and it'll come up a treat next spring.

If it is a really big rhubarb patch, you could try splitting some of it - between November to February, use a spade to "chop off" chunks of the clump, and plant any with a crown and roots in a hole with lots of manure/compost.  You won't be able to pick new rhubarb off the new plants until the next year, but it gives you the start of a new fresh bed, and allows you eventually to get rid of the old (which might be quite weed-ridden?)

All best,  Gavin

Hugh_Jones:
Don`t cut it down - let it die back naturally on its own, but give it a good does of bone meal, well worked into the surface.  Save the manure until November before applying it.

If you want the finest rhubarb, get an old plastic dustbin, fill it loosely with straw, and place it upside down over one of the crowns in late January. By late March/early April you will have 2ft long stems of the palest pink (and acid free) rhubarb.

The effective useful life of a rhubarb plant is 10 years, so it is worth splitting off offsets each year to maintain a bed in best condition, but new plantings should not be picked at all until the second year, and then only lightly.

allotment_chick:
I have to say that I put manure on mine now - but it seems to be a very early variety.

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