Rhubarb Help Required

[Pyewacket]

Can anyone out there help me with my rhubarb. It was planted last year as a new crown brought from a local garden centre which sells reliable, good stock. I dug the correct size hole and dug in plenty of 'organic material' as all the tv gardeners call it. It grew quite well and I weeded it and watered it, and it had several good stalks, none of which I harvested according to the instructions.

Over the winter it died down and so far stubbornly refuses to come back up! It's still there because I've checked and the crown looks ok and is just peeping out from the soil.

The rhubard belonging to the man on the allotment next to mine is resplendent with bright red stalks and huge bright green leaves.

Whats happened to mine? Is it supposed to be like this? Any suggestions gratefully received.
Pyewacket

[shirlthegirl43]

Don't give up hope yet, mine just appeared in the last couple of days. I suppose it depends on the type you got - some are earlier than others.

[Pyewacket]

Thanks very much Shirl,

I think I might get some manure from the local stables and give it a good feed up. I can taste that rhubard crumble already!

Pyewacket

[shirlthegirl43]

Oddly enough I started a thread earlier today asking the best thing to feed mine. I had thought it was dead as there was no sign of it and there today I found sprouts in both buckets.

[martin.eneale]

Thanks very much Shirl,

I think I might get some manure from the local stables and give it a good feed up. I can taste that rhubard crumble already!

Pyewacket

I put custard on mine!.......................sorry, the old ones are the best ones.

Martin

[nick the grief]

I said that on the other thread great minds think alike or fools seldom differ

I wouldn't worry too much Pyewacket, you lotty neighbours is probably an established plant and so will be more forward than yours. Give it some muck and don't pick any this year and next year you will reap the rewards.

[Alice]

Hello Pyewacket, what stops most plants doing what we want is patience ! Your neighbour probably has a different variety from you. You will have yours when his has been and gone. Be patient. Your rhubarb will come.

[Nicos]

My Timperley Early is about a foot high, but my other 7 ( 4 other varieties) are still just showing a pink growing bud just poking out at the soil surface.
With the warm weather we are expecting this week, I'm sure they'll all be sprouting leaves by next weekend! Same for you!

[Grandpadragon]

As I said in a another thread earlier this year my 3 roots of Timperley Early were up in January and as it is supposed to crop from March I'm going to risk pulling a couple of stems from each root this friday 30th. As it looks healthy Pyewacket, as Corporal jones would say "Dont Panic" must be a late variety

[*Feather*]

Give it some muck and don't pick any this year and next year you will reap the rewards.

I thought you could harvest it from the second year onwards... or is it from the third year onwards?

[Nicos]

Should be fine in it's 2nd year.
Really, I would go from the look of it.
If the stems are fine and spindly and small leaves, then leave well alone as they will be needed to help provide nutrients to build up the roots.
Some plants start off bigger than others and can be 'sampled' earlier than others.
Can you compare your plant to a mature one, and then make up your mind from that comparison??
Main question is....how much self control do you have???

[SueA]

My Timperley Early only had a few stalks on it but I noticed the other day that one had snapped so I pulled a couple more off it & made 2 mini rhubarb crumbles, lovely. Pyewacket, if the crown still looked O.K. & the bud hasn't rotted it probably will still come up when it's ready. I bought one a few years ago & it died overwinter because the ground had been too wet & the growing buds on the crown rotted but this one I have now is fine.

[rustylady]

Depends a lot on the variety, some are a lot earlier than others. If it is showing signs of shooting, leave it alone. It will produce stalks in it's own time. It can take 2 or 3 years for a crown to become really productive. Then try stopping it!

[dexterdoglancashire]

I thought mine had died off as well - luckily, I've got four or five healthy looking stalks now. Also moved a few small crowns from my lottie, that the previous owner had planted, have put them in the back garden and they are now doing well. I've put them under some black buckets as I believe they like the dark. Bernie aka Dexterdog

[Eden]

I have some rhubarb seeds and am wondering how long it will be till I'll be harvesting it. If I plant this year when will I be able to eat it? Many thanks,
eden