[KT]

Hmmm My Rhubarb isn't doing very well this year.

I have two crown's one was a 2 year old crown bought last year planted out in march and i didn't touch it to allow it to get some good roots down.

The second is a 4 year old crown which threatened to take over the garden last year which i harvested from but not after july/Aug.

This year they are both looking quite sad. Im not sure whats wrong with them they just don't seem to have got going.

The younger crown only has 5 stalk's on it all of which are quite small (none of the leaves are bigger than a side plate. (stalks as wide as a pencil)  i would say it's actually smaller now than it was when i bought it last year. I've just taken a close look at it and the largest stalk as broken near the base, so it's lying down on the soil. Im not sure if it's been eaten or just damaged in the high winds last week.

The older crown, was massive last year at one point it was about 4ft in every direction. This year it's still quite small as if it still hasn't really got going after the winter.  The only damage / issues i can see with it is that it's leaves are quite eaten, as though somethings been having a good munch on it. I did lay out some slug pellets incase it was those little blighters but it doesn't really seem to have helped. It does have lots of small stalks (pencil wide) but they are all quite pathetic and sad looking (many just lying in the soil)

Help!! i was told it was impossible to kill rhubarb but i seem to be managing. 

[fatcat1955]

Water and feed . It has been very dry and plants have trouble absorbing nutrients when there roots are dry.

[Bailz]

whats the best feed for rhubarb?

[Lardman]

whats the best feed for rhubarb?

Not sure about the best but well rotten manure dumped over it in winter is the usual treatment 

[Bailz]

i have been given 4 spades of rhubarb but it looks dead to us.

[Lardman]

i have been given 4 spades of rhubarb but it looks dead to us.

Do you mean crowns ? If so plant just below the surface and keep it moist and don't pick any this year.  Im told its supposed to be as tough as nails and impossible to kill - although I've managed to kill lots !