what should I be doing with my enormous rhubarb plants, they are wilted and at the end - should I remove the old leaves or leave them on. They are 2 years old but were moved this spring so I've not eaten any in order to give them time to recover - hoping for a bumber crop next year!
Last year I left them until they completely collapsed then removed them
And once you do remove the dead stalks give the rhubarb a good mulch of manure, round but not over the crowns.
last year I heavily manured them and they have done well, although they are long-established. I read some people wait until they are dormant in winter, lift them and leave them forthe frosts to get at them. Never tried it myself - has anyone else? I'm thinking of manuring again in the winter.
Psi
Quote from: Psi on October 01, 2009, 16:07:40
I read some people wait until they are dormant in winter, lift them and leave them forthe frosts to get at them. Never tried it myself - has anyone else?
Psi
i think you would only do this if you wanted to force the rhubarb.
Once the stems collapse I pull them off and compost them. I find that if they are left on they go slimey.
I give the plants a good heap of manure/straw before the winter.
I don't lift them and let the frost get to them - they are massive enough without me giving myself any more backache than I've got already!