Rhubarb!

[BunnyRuddington]

I planted some Rhubarb last Spring. Was really good and didn't pick any and looked after it.

Absolutely no sign of it re-emerging this Spring though.

Is it too early or has it succumbed to my legendary gardening skills?

Ours is at the 12” level so I think you might’ve killed it 😒

Ours is at the 12” level so I think you might’ve killed it

That's a shame as I've managed to kill the lovely lavender as well.

It's only ever since we've been in this house that I've ever had any problems, just nothing seems to want to come back for a second year.

Mine have been there for years but it’s still at the shrivelled looking plant stage. Depends how warm it’s been I’d think. I have 4 plants that go bonkers every year with next to no looking after. Give them a feed and wait

It really annoys me how poor a lot of the rhubarb plants sold by garden centres are.

Ask around if anybody has a big plant that they could give you a chunk from.

My rhubarb is an absolute brute - I dig out pieces of root the size of a "forever bag" and give them to friends all over - and EVERY ONE has pulled through.

Main thing is that my parent plant is downhill from my compost heap
rhubarb is VERY VERY hungry.

See if a friend will give you a plant
OR
if you can, chuck a sack of manure over where you planted yours and leave it a year

(BTW mine is about 3 inches tall despite having root stock the size of trench blocks)

Some are earlier than others aren't they?

Its still too cold over here for much action unless your forcing it the farmer has his fields covered in plastic this year

@BewareTheBeardedDragon

Some are earlier than others aren't they?

Do you mean earlier varieties or earlier because they have had more sun etc.

I meant earlier varieties but I guess sun exposure and general temperature must make a difference? I'm not a rhubarb expert...

Mine hasn't started growing at all yet. Maybe it depends where in the country you are. Mine is a well established plant the grow every year.

Gardeners World this week had a rhubarb expert on. Lots of varieties

We're in NW England so a bit chilly and the garden doesn't get huge amounts of sun.

We are East Midlands. Our rhubarbs is at the 3-4 inch stage. Don’t give up hope.

Cambridgeshire here - only 2-3 inches in our garden, over a foot in the allotments.

Can you try forcing it? We've had a bit of black tarp over ours since last month and it's coming through now. We've stuck a bucket over it in the past too.

Monty Don showed how to force it and pointed out some that were too late for forcing this week

DO NOT force a weak root stock

forcing wipes the plant out for a year
you force the brute plants
and leave the weak ones to bulk up

Ours has only just made itself visible. Still tightly rolled. W Yorks

Thanks everyone for replying. I think it might be dead but have realised that DFIL has a fairly robust plant, would it be ok to divide it now?

Try putting a 10cm layer of compost over the plant. It warms it up and feeds it.

I'd wait until the crown is showing vigorous growth before dividing it. Then water regularly once you put the new plant it and mulch with compost. Once you get the soil round it in good condition it will take off.

Mine is about 14 inches already, if you buried it too deep the crown could've rotted

West Yorkshire here too and only just appearing through the soil. I have one established one and two new put in last autumn. Good tip for the compost layer. The established one loves well rotted horse poo

@BunnyRuddington

Thanks everyone for replying. I think it might be dead but have realised that DFIL has a fairly robust plant, would it be ok to divide it now?

I’d be really impressed if you’ve actually managed to kill rhubarb, give it another couple of weeks or so. I dug mine out last year and kept a slither which I’ve moved elsewhere in the garden. We’re SW and it’s only just emerging.

Where's a good place online to get a rhubarb? We've just moved and ours at our old house was only just coming up and I miss it!

Ugh, the exact same thing happened to me. My magnificent Victoria which passers by knocked on the door to ask about last summer, only just showed signs of life in the past two days! Timperley Early which was a bit spindly last year is throwing out stems like nobody's business and putting the Victoria TO SHAME.

Here's my thread on it from two weeks ago! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/4191113-What-is-wrong-with-my-rhubarb-Slow-or-dead?watched=1&msgid=105993822#105993822