storing rhubard crowns

[emmak]

I have some rhubarb crowns that I've just dug up as they are about to be buried by building work that has unexpectedly extended into my garden fruit bed :(. I haven't quite got the lottie yet - how can I store the rhubarb crowns and raspberry canes for a couple of weeks till I can get them in the new lottie?

[emmak]

[Garjan]

Hi,
this is not an officially approved advise, but I stored rhubarb crowns by digging them in partially. First wrap newspaper around the roots so they won't settle, then lower them in a hole until only the leaves or the growing point are above ground. Fill up the hole. This way the plants are kept moist.

Raspberry canes are quite hardy. This spring I gave some young canes to a friend of mine. She didn't have the time to plant them immediately at the right spot. She bundled the canes up, wrapped them in newspaper, and dug them in. A week later they were planted and they did well this summer.
Good luck.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Shove them in any bit of soil you've got available, it doesn't matter how close together they are, and leave them there till you can plant them out properly.

[Hyacinth]

both are great options...can even be stored in a bucket, rather than in the ground - all ready to move to the lottie 8). Tough as old boots. I've an old friend who still lifts her rhubarb roots & leaves them  uncovered on top of the plot for the frost to get at the them. I don't bother to do this, but we both have equally good crops. I'm sure you'll have no worries whatever you choose to do. :)

[keef]

Put them in a bucket with a little compost, water a bit, then put the whole lot in a black bin liner in the garage or shed. You'll then have a little tender rhubard in very early spring...use it then plant the crowns out.

[emmak]

great, thanks

[grawrc]

Erm... I'd love to store mine but first... how do I get them out of the ground? ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Depends on the size. When I moved mine a couple of years back, I trenched round them, then levered them up with a metal fork which is strong enough to double as a crowbar. When I finally shifted the things, they were so massive I could just barely get them out of the holes. And now i need to move them again!

But yours may well be smaller.