Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Subversive_plot on April 26, 2024, 01:06

Title: Strategy for starting new rhubarb?
Post by: Subversive_plot on April 26, 2024, 01:06
I bought a couple new roots of Valentine rhubarb a couple months ago. Pickings were slim at the garden center but I found 2 scrawny roots that seemed to show more life than the others. I direct-planted them to fill some gaps in the rhubarb bed, amended with compost and kept them moist. 

There was nothing showing after a month, so I found a much larger (more expensive; variety Crimson Red) root at a different garden center. Planted it the same way.

Today, I determined the more expensive had rotted. Meanwhile, the Valentine scrawny roots have at least sprouted.

I think the issue might be that straight planting in the ground, it is difficult to evenly control moisture. Sometimes I get rot, sometimes not. I hope I don't need to fill in again, but if I do (next year), I was thinking of putting roots in pots of open but moist compost & sand and setting them in the open door of the garage (light, but no rain). I can control the moisture, and not risk things getting soggy/rotting. When the plant gets some size to it, I can plant it out.

Do you think I will get better survival this way?
Title: Re: Strategy for starting new rhubarb?
Post by: mumofstig on April 26, 2024, 09:31
Bad luck, that's a difficult one tbh.
Here in the UK I've always just planted them and left them to it, on various soil types. Are you covering the crown of the the plant, as that should be at/just above soil level?
Title: Re: Strategy for starting new rhubarb?
Post by: Nobbie on April 26, 2024, 09:34
I reckon they stand a better chance as planting into an existing bed means they will be exposed to a lot of old rotting rhubarb roots which may encourage rotting in the new root damaged by transplanting. I never have any problem transplanting rhubarb into new ground, it’s seems to be one of the hardiest things around.
Title: Re: Strategy for starting new rhubarb?
Post by: Gardener and Rabbit on April 26, 2024, 17:30
I had roots rot away like that, so bought a pack of seed and grew them that way instead - they're easy to grow from seed and are still going strong!
Title: Re: Strategy for starting new rhubarb?
Post by: Subversive_plot on April 26, 2024, 17:53
Bad luck, that's a difficult one tbh.
Here in the UK I've always just planted them and left them to it, on various soil types. Are you covering the crown of the the plant, as that should be at/just above soil level?

Yes, planting is exactly as you say, crown is at soil level or slightly higher.

Sometimes squirrels digging in the beds do temporarily cover the crowns. I uncover when I see that.

Planting and leaving them to it was what I was going for with these 3 roots. I guess 2 out of 3 surviving isn't too bad.