I have had a rhubarb plant for years and it isn't doing anythin. At most I will get about 4 stalks to make a pie. I have tried splitting it but now I have 2 small plants. I add composted manure. Should I buy a new plant or keep trying with this one?
Lori
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
I'm in zone 5. We have very good rich soil and it is in full sun. Occasionally it gets a shot of aged manure.
Oh he** Kayla, if its not doing well, replace it or augment it. Z5 with decent soil and a little encouragement should get you more than a One Pie plant.
Remember to cut the flower stalks as soon as you can tell them from new leaves, so the plant doesn't waste energy going to seed. In my area of Z5, that flower stalk will appear as soon as daytime temps get up to 80, which was yesterday, so I'll be looking tomorrow.
My rhubarb lives in a low spot, and I keep a half hearted compost pile close by. I also rake fall leaves into the low spot over the rhubarb after frost. Our soil is sandy riverine ( floodplain) and prone to drying quickly, but I have such a thicket of Rhubarb I'd be happy to share.
Sue Western Maine foothills
Rhubarb is not a plant you can plant and use the same year. Your problem appears to be that you are harvesting every stalk from your small plants as soon as they are large enough to use. Rhubarb is like asparagus and should not be harvested until the third season after planting and then only sparingly that year. That gives the plant a chance to develop a good root system, which is turn increases the following year's crop. After that, harvest no more than half the stalks, leaving enough stalks to sustain a good root system for the following year's crop. And yes, you should remove flower stalks as they appear.
John
I hate to say this but the plant is about 10 years old and I split it about 5 years ago. I only take 4 stalks out but leave as many on the plant. Today I cut out the flower stalk.
lori
Lori
Rhubarb is not a plant you can plant and use the same year. Your problem appears to be that you are harvesting every stalk from your small plants as soon as they are large enough to use. Rhubarb is like asparagus and should not be harvested until the third season after planting and then only sparingly that year. That gives the plant a chance to develop a good root system, which is turn increases the following year's crop. After that, harvest no more than half the stalks, leaving enough stalks to sustain a good root system for the following year's crop. And yes, you should remove flower stalks as they appear.
John
I hate to say this but the plant is about 10 years old and I split it about 5 years ago. I only take 4 stalks out but leave as many on the plant. Today I cut out the flower stalk. Lori
Lots of good ideas here, this is mine...I hope it works! My parents had some rhubarb plants that were there for years and years. They were stunted runts with barely a leaf, then all of a sudden they started to grow like they should! Big thick stalks and large leaves. The reason? There was a broken water pipe and the ground was damp, damp damp. So, try giving the plants a lot more water. :) Gary Fort Langley BC Canada
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
Thanks for your feedback everyone. I'm going to water the crap out of this one and also buy a new one and plant it in a different location.
Lori
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.