[DonnaM]

Ive tried twice to get some rhubarb growing. Ive bought three crowns from Focus and nothing has come from them. Since then Ive planted seeds and still nothing.
The bed they are in has been thoroughly manured and dug over, it is protected by two walls from the wind and is in partial shade which I believe is good for growing rhubarb.
Little weeds keep popping up on this piece and some mint that I had there two years ago keeps coming back but no rhubarb!
What am I doing wrong?

[Ice]

You're not doing much wrong.  Is the site free draining?  Apart from that I am stumped.

[DonnaM]

Yes it is very free draining as it is a raised bed filled with rubble about three feet deep due to the fact that it is at the side of the garden steps so definitely never ever waterlogged. My thoughts were could it be too dry but then I did have quite a successful herb garden there for a while until I decided to move them to a sunnier spot.

[archibtbm]

My rhubarb is on the plot, no raised bed and in full sun as I don't think it likes shade.  The roots go deep, how deep is the soil ?

[DonnaM]

It is maybe eight inches deep but it has never got started to run out of space so I dont think it is that. Most of it is good compost from the shops topped up with rotted manure, mainly from horses.

[Kristen]

Ive bought three crowns from Focus and nothing has come from them. Since then Ive planted seeds and still nothing.

Do you mean "absolutely nothing", or did you get some green leaves and then they died?

If "absolutely nothing" then the roots from Focus were dead, and the seed would perhaps have been better started in a seed tray or pot, grown on, and then planted out.

If that is the case then I think you would be better buying a plant from a garden centre which is in full growth, in a pot, so at least you know its healthy when you plant it.

[joyfull]

My rhubarb has done nothing this year either - year 3 
I will get a new crown and plant in full sun next time as mine was in the shade too.

[JohnB47]

I think 8" of soil sitting on three feet of rubble will by far too dry and far too shallow for rhubarb. They're in part shade rather than full sun so the odds are stacked against them.

"it has never got started to run out of space" - that's the 'too dry' stage. If you'd kept it watered (tiresome with all that rubble sucking the moisture away), it would have run out of space later and would have either died then or hung on looking miserable.

When rhubarb gets established it will produce a large and bulky root system that wants to go deep to find water. It can be temperamental while young - I planted three Timperly Early and one gave up the ghost during it's first winter - but if they get past a year old they are almost bombproof.

It really is best to go for full sun but if you're determined to try that spot again, I'd recommend digging out a hole at least a foot diameter and down far enough to bypass all the rubble. Fill with soil, plant, keep well watered and don't pull any stalks in the first summer.

[DonnaM]

Thanks and yes totally nothing. I also bought three asparagus crowns at the same time and planted them in a belfast sink in a bag of good compost and they were completely dead too.
No wonder Focus have gone bump they are selling rusbbish 

[simonwatson]

Rhubarb will definitely grow in partial shade and produce good results, as I know from my own garden. The spot I've got mine in is between two large shrubs that both tower over it and on the third side is a north-south running fence 6 feet high. If it gets 4 hours of direct sun a day I'd be amazed.

[LilacSandy]

I planted seeds two years ago in a seed tray and ended up with 22 healthy plants and the two I put out on the plot are as big as the one I had already brought for £4.99 from the old Wyvale garden centre.

[Kristen]

Thanks and yes totally nothing.

I'm afraid that the stuff that is sold in bags attached to a card along the top with a shiny printed glossy photo have little chance of living.  If you buy then shortly after they have arrived at the garden centre you may be OK, but of course you have no real way of knowing how long they have been there, drying out.

Probably better off just asking here, or on an allotment, for a root - that will be known to be growing well, and arrive healthy

[Trillium]

I used to have a huge patch situation between two mature hemlock trees and it always did well, so sun/lack of is not the real problem.

If you think about rhubarb having a VERY long taproot, maybe 3 ft deep at maturity, sometimes deeper, this might help you figure where your rhubarb should be planted. Without adequate soil, it just won't survive, least of all in rubble for the roots. And the first year in the soil it does need some regular watering so the plant can establish well, then don't bother after that. Sounds like you'll need another place for your rhubarb.

[shokkyy]

I planted seeds two years ago in a seed tray and ended up with 22 healthy plants and the two I put out on the plot are as big as the one I had already brought for £4.99 from the old Wyvale garden centre.

I never thought of growing rhubard from seed. I've got one rhubard plant in its first year but I've got room for another to keep it company, so maybe I'll give that a go. I'm not sure what variety mine is, but I picked it up at my local garden centre so it'll be one of the common varieties. What's the best variety for taste?

[DonnaM]

I planted it there because of the shade as I had heard that it does better in shade and forced rhubarb is grown in the shade as much as possible so that the stems grow longer for the leaves to reach the light?
I can add to the soil quite a depth and this is what I was planning to do as I believe you top it up with soil every year so the bed gets gradually deeper.
I wont be buying any more dried type plants as I also bought Sea Holly and Lupins in this way and none of them have come up either.
The packet of rhubarb seeds did say to plant straight out as seeds in the bed so this is what I did. There is still a little hope for them yet though not much I suppose really.
Back to the drawing board