Topic: help me please - moving rhubarb and currants when in leaf?

[marcusexeter]

Hi all

can anyone offer me some advice ( you've never let me down before!) I am having to leave me allotment for another one due to the whole allotment site being evicted. I do have a new allotment now and am ready to transplant.

I don't mind starting again BUT I have nurtured these currants and rhubarb for four years and am very attached to them !

trouble is I have only 5 weeks left of my tenancy! I really want to take these with me - the site will be unavailable after that. Of course they are in full leaf, can I move them? for the rhubarb could i cut all the leaves off before I moved would this help?  when does natural leaf drop occur in 5 weeks ?

any advice please let me know

best wishes marcus

[davyw1]

The rhubarb i would leave till the last moment, remove any stick thats left then dig it up and put it the freezer till you get sorted then re plant it when you get the new allatment

[marcusexeter]

thanks - I actually have a new allotment to transplant to - u reckon take the leaves off them but wait till last minute?

thanks for ure reply

[saddad]

With the currants I'd strike new cuttings as a precaution. If you can move the bushes cut back almost all of the top growth to reduce water losses. The Rhubarb I would strip the stalks and pot up in a big put and keep damp...  :-\

Good luck on your new plot

[Robert_Brenchley]

What a horrible thing to happen! Cut them well back, but don't be afraid to move them. Keep watering steadily afterwards, for the rest of the season.

[sheilan]

I had to move some gooseberries and currants whilst still in leaf. I was advised to work a circle around the fruit with a spade. Not digging but just pushing it in the ground up to its full depth and rocking it back and forth.
Then leave for as long as possible.
At the last minute, have your hole ready prepared and have a piece of sacking, or other bio-degradable fabric at the ready.
Water the bush/shrub well a few hours before lifting then lift with as much soil intact as possible onto the sacking and wrap.
Drop it into the new hole, cut away as much of the sacking as you can, back fill and water. Do not let your transplanted bushes.shrubs suffer from drought whilst they are adjusting to their new homes.
It worked for me.
I did take some cuttings as a precaution 50% of which took, so I also increased my stock.

Sorry to hear you are being evicted and good luck with the new plot.

[lorna]

Hope you don't mind me coming in on your thread Marcusexeter. I "see to" daughter Lorna's garden next door. She has rhubarb which she wants me to out. Another daughter and son-in-law love rhubarb so I thought I would transfer it to my garden There is no hurry so when would be the right time for me to lift it please?

[djbrenton]

I wouldn't worry too much about the rhubarb. I left some crowns above ground for over a year once and they were fine when finally planted. I suspect that, along with cockroaches, rhubarb can survive a nuclear winter.

[saddad]

The best time (Lorna) is when it is dormant in early Winter ...  :)

[lorna]

Thanks Saddad.