Topic: 1st year Rhubarb next steps ?

[GREGME]

Hi I have 3 rhubarb crowns (fulton's strawberry variety) that are growing brilliantly - the size of a big courgette plant each but as they are in their 1st year i am not harvesting. However i'm just not sure what to do next- will they die down and help the crown to do better next year or should I prune them in some way or make their leaves into comfrey like feed ? advice welcome thanks- they are so big that i am minded to try to force them next spring perhaps ? thanks and you've guessed i haven't grown rhubarb before

[Digeroo]

Feed them and wait.  I was advised to feed mine and it made a huge difference come spring.  I shovel piles of weeds around them.

I am not sure that making a feed out be a good idea the leaves are poisonous, though supposed to make a insecticide which is good against aphids.   

I am going to force some of mine and leave others to be forced the following year. I found a compost bin over them did a good job.  I tried a bucket but someone stole it but it was not really big enough.  I have bought a couple of extra bins specially.   

[tricia]

Just leave the leaves to die back naturally then mulch with well-rotted manure around the crowns over the winter and you should be well rewarded next year.

Tricia

[antipodes]

To be honest if they were that big you probably could have harvested a few sticks, in moderation. Never mind, too late now!
yes, let them die back and mulch them overwinter with loads of organic matter, manure, leaves, straw etc, and leave them. They will come back bigger next year.

I had a very good rhubarb crop this year, my freezer is full of it and I made jam too!

[Mikeakabigman]

Yes.. we planted a new Rhubarb crown in Feb this year, it has grown enormous, and we did take just a few sticks to try it a few weeks back. The plant undeterred, continues to put out new leaves. I will mulch it  when the leaves  die back.

[GREGME]

Hi thanks v much for helpful replies in the last week or so they are dying back and the leaves yellowing so makes sense for next steps recommended. Fresh rhubarb ice cream in march i think

[goodlife]

Once the tops have died..there is no need to 'clean' or 'tidy' the plant as such. I always pile rhubarb's own growth over the growing points and then start piling up other stuff over that.
You don't even need to do all that mulching in one go. Treat your rhubarb area like 'compost' bin..when ever you need to empty container from used compost or you have some grass clippings, shredded paper etc. just pile it all on until the new growth starts and stop mulching while you cannot access the soil undernearth. To top it all up, in spring I even give some chicken manure pellets and after that the growth will get into speedy start.
Only thing you have to be aware for..as long as you don't give it huge quantities of green stuff in one go so that it would start heating up.
You rhubarb will 'love' you for pilling all the organic matter on it