Topic: My Rhubarb has Died!

[flowerlady]

Went up the lottie today and have found that the rhubarb roots that I was given look as if they have died.  :'( :'( :'(

If I have to buy their replacement, could anybody suggest a variety with a really great flavour?

 

[undercarriage plan]

Are you sure they're dead? they'll be dying down at this time of year. If def dead, PM me and I'll send you some of my crowns.
Lottie  ;D

[flowerlady]

;D ;D ;D

They do really look dead.  All very crisp!

I'm most upset 'cos I don't usually have failures like this! 

They did take OK, and grew small leaves, but then they got a bit dry before all this rain we've just had!   :(

I'd love a crown if you can spare a bit, I'll keep watching. 

[undercarriage plan]

Cos you can!! Will send several. Pm with addy and I'll send them when they've died down, no probs.
Lottie ;D

[busy_lizzie]

Rhubarb does die down this time of year as Lottie says.  Our crowns are just brown roots too. This is what happens to us most years, so don't give up hope flowerlady.  I would put some manure around them and you might be surprised next year to see some nice shoots coming through in the Spring. We have done really well with our rhubarb this year. :) busy_lizzie

[Aussie Chick]

Mine must have died too. I planted in the spring and haven't cut any off this year. But the stems have all died and now you can't even see where it was planted. I was going to put straw over the place to over winter it and see what emerges, if anything, in the spring. Do you think it will come back?

[dirtyfingernails]

I want to divide the rhubarb in my garden to take some to the lottie but I'm scared of digging it up as the last time I did this with a plant the whole lot died - any advice? I've got no idea how old the plant is, probably about 26 years (is that possible?) as the people who had the house before us left the garden alone and just cut the grass!

any advice welcome

thanks

[Twospot Ladybird]

Aussie Chick,

I think your Rhubarb should be fine, mine disappears completely from view too. I only know roughly where it is until it starts to re-grow in the spring. If I ever wanted to move it, I would need to mark the place when it was still in growth.

[chriszog]

Rhubarb is a tough old plant if possible digit up and split it every 5 years or so. Now is a great time to do it as all the foliage will be dying off. I'll be doing mine this weekend.
re plant it and place some well rotted manure around it but not on top of the crowns as this can cause it to rot.
Good luck
Regards
Chriszog

[dirtyfingernails]

thanks! will get out there once the rain stops

[daisymay]

was going to ask this too as I thought I had killed ours on the lottie. It got rotivated when we first got the plot, we tried to rescue it by replanting the crowns - ended up with three but noticed it was looking a bit sickly right now. Phew!  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's best to move rhubarb now if you're going to. I had to move mine last winter, and did it too late, with the result that we didn't get much off it this year. It had been in about five years, and I was amazed by the size of the roots; I was barely able to get them out of the ground without slicing them up in situ.

[Mac49]

Hi, I'm in Swansea (South Wales) my Rhubarb hasn't died in 3 years ???
Allways new leaves & stems coming through, any ideas when I can split them
for my neighbours to have a share.
Mac.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Now's the time. Dig them up and cut them apart, just make sure that every part has buds.

[the_snail]

Rhubarb = Herbaceouse Perenial

Defernision of herbaciouse perenial is a plant that produces a annual stem but has a perenial rootstock. Also does not go through the process of second thickening.

The_Snail

[the_snail]

Rhubarb is the only veg you have custard with! How about cabbage n custard!

The_Snail

[weedin project]

Just to cheer everyone up - mine has died back and looked for all the world as if something had done for it, but now it has already started sprouting again!
For those of you re-planting rhubarb, I keep mine "downstream" (i.e. ever so slighty downhill) from, but very close to, my compost bins.  I think they get a good and regular feed through seepage of nutrients in the soil :D. 
As a matter of interest my raspberries that are also pretty adjacent to the bins were fruiting for about 4 months this year.