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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Mark S on February 13, 2012, 19:52:52

Title: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: Mark S on February 13, 2012, 19:52:52: Might be on a hiding to nothing, but hat are your thoughts:

I have no decent areas left to try and grow rhubarb. I do however, have a large concrete slab, and some spare very large pots - large as in 18" diamtere by 18" deep.

My two crowns did nothing last year - although I rescued them from the local recycling yard, and only banged them in any old soil to hopefully keep them alive.

If I fill the pot with some really decent compost and soil, and forget about them this year, do you reckon its worth trying; or is the whole idea of growing rhubarb in a pot a stupid idea, lol?
Title: Re: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: green lily on February 13, 2012, 21:31:45: I would think it depends on the type , some are much bigger than others. Might be worth a try, give some good muck and plenty of moisture and see what you get ;)
Title: Re: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: davyw1 on February 13, 2012, 21:32:02: Nothing stupid about the idea if you dont ask you wont find an answer.
Unfortunately Rhubarb is one off those plants that dont do well thats if they do anything in pots.

When you say they did not do anything last year do you mean they did not grow at all or you got a bad showing, rhubarb does not do well the first year.

If the plant did show stalks then it should improve this year.

Cover the plant with manure and see what happens
Title: Re: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: Mark S on February 13, 2012, 22:07:17: Both crowns did show, a few leaves, but only a cpl of stalks on each crown, no more than 6" each.

But when I rescued them off the compost pile at the recycling centre, they already looked dried out.

Because I didn't expect them to survive, and because it was red hot when I found them, I simply dug two holes and put the crowns in, no compost or anything!

Perhaps I shouldnt transplant them, but see what happens. I have a ready supply of horse manure and home made compost.

thanks for the advice everyone!!
Title: Re: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: Aden Roller on February 14, 2012, 01:45:04: If it were me I would leave them in the ground if possible, give them a good mulch of compost or manure (but maybe avoid covering the crown), keep them watered when it's dry and give them another year.

It sounds as if they have done well to survive at all. They should not be expected to produce much of a crop in their first year.
(http://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s7576.gif) (http://www.tiptopglobe.com/free-smiles-smileys-emoticons-blog-forum-email)
The second year you might get one or two pickings but always leave enough leaves on the plants so they can make energy and grow.

In the third year they should get cracking.... if not dig them out quick and buy a decent cultivar!!
Title: Re: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: Digeroo on February 14, 2012, 07:23:25: I should have thought you would need a huge pot. They have long deep hungry roots. But they also have enormous leaves which would make them very top heavy. I have very dry soil and I can say they do not like being dried out. I would question whether your pots are big enough.

I grew some from seed a couple of years ago and moved them at the end of the first year and was amazing at how long their roots were. After only a few growing months they were much more than 18' long.

Personally I would not move them again but give them a good couple of buckets of compost each.
Title: Re: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: davyw1 on February 14, 2012, 08:23:52: The question is

If you grow them in a pot, what pot do you put on top of the bottom pot so the top pot on top of the bottom pot draws the rhubarb in the bottom pot out of the top of the top pot

Which leeds me to ask was your rhubarb covered by a bottomless pot or just exposed to the light
Title: Re: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: Aden Roller on February 15, 2012, 18:50:51: Quote from: Mark S on February 13, 2012, 19:52:52
Might be on a hiding to nothing, but hat are your thoughts:

I have no decent areas left to try and grow rhubarb. I do however, have a large concrete slab, and some spare very large pots - large as in 18" diamtere by 18" deep.

My two crowns did nothing last year - although I rescued them from the local recycling yard, and only banged them in any old soil to hopefully keep them alive.

If I fill the pot with some really decent compost and soil, and forget about them this year, do you reckon its worth trying; or is the whole idea of growing rhubarb in a pot a stupid idea, lol?

Fairly potty. ;)
Title: Re: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on February 15, 2012, 20:31:56: Rhubarb roots are gigantic; I can't see it doing at all well in a pot, no matter how large.
Title: Re: Rhubarb in pots
Post by: Aden Roller on February 24, 2012, 23:58:04: Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on February 15, 2012, 20:31:56
Rhubarb roots are gigantic; I can't see it doing at all well in a pot, no matter how large.

If it's a tough and tenacious as my rhubarb (grown from seed) it'll dive down through the tiddly hole at the bottom of the pot and anchor itself somewhere near Australia!! ;)

(Just as long as it gets enough water to keep it going in the meantime..)