Allotment Stuff > The Basics
One line questions / One line answers
Beersmith:
Rhubarb is usually a pretty robust and trouble free plant. But mine is looking very poorly. Large brown areas on many leaves. Does anyone know anything about rhubarb diseases? It looks bad enough to kill the whole thing if it doesn't improve. It has been in the same spot for about eight years.
Obelixx:
Congestion?
I had a big patch of rhubarb in my old garden and would lift and divide the clumps every 3 years to maintain vigour. An 8yr old clump will probably be crying out for nutrients and space and he chance to shed old material and make new roots and shoots.
Palustris:
Definitely hunger and thirst. Lift divide and feed.
Beersmith:
--- Quote from: Obelixx on June 06, 2022, 20:26:14 ---Congestion?
I had a big patch of rhubarb in my old garden and would lift and divide the clumps every 3 years to maintain vigour. An 8yr old clump will probably be crying out for nutrients and space and he chance to shed old material and make new roots and shoots.
--- End quote ---
A sensible suggestion, but it has ample space to spread in all directions and gets a regular top dressing of horse manure most recently last autumn. Also the stems are not showing any signs of being soft or bendy as I have observed before under drought conditions. On reflection eight years is a long stint so maybe issues have built up over time
Still a lift and divide is a fairly routine thing to do. I just need to get galvanized. I may do a little more research just to be sure it isn't a rust or fungal disease before taking any action.
Obelixx:
I think you'll find that rhubarb is like irises or hemerocallis - needs regular lifting and dividing to maintain vigour. The oldest roots in the middle will be woody and not very productive.
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