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Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb!

(12 Posts)
H1954 Thu 23-Jun-22 11:08:10

No, I'm not being rude but I have had a very poor yield of rhubarb this year. I'm grown ng Timperley Early which would normally crop from the spring right into the summer. Not this year......it's been very poor despite feed etc.

Has anyone else hade any poor results with their rhubarb?

aggie Thu 23-Jun-22 11:13:41

Yes ours is pencil thin with huge leaves , we aren’t harvesting any , mulched it and a seaweed feed applied , so hoping for better things next year

Jaxjacky Thu 23-Jun-22 11:19:22

It might be worth splitting the crown in the autumn if it’s getting on a bit.

Jane43 Thu 23-Jun-22 11:21:58

Ours were thin stalks at first but are now thick. I read that it is best not to pick all the stalks but leave them on to feed the crown.

tidyskatemum Thu 23-Jun-22 11:22:00

You can have some of ours! We’ve got masses of the stuff. Going to try making rhubarb wine to use it up a bit. Round here everyone seems to be offering everyone else tomato plants and rhubarb!

Casdon Thu 23-Jun-22 11:53:23

No, here’s mine, I’m giving it away to anybody who wants it as well as eating and freezing all we can. I think the secret is to give it loads and loads of water, mine gets a watering can full every day when it hasn’t rained. My gooseberries are pathetic though!

Kim19 Thu 23-Jun-22 12:01:47

Yes, my old faithfuls are decidedly struggling this year. Two different species. Given them a feed.

rockgran Thu 23-Jun-22 12:07:20

My Timperley Early is doing well - loads in the freezer already. I never do anything to it and I've had it 37 years. We used to live in Timperley and have planted it in every garden we've had- it never disappoints.

tanith Thu 23-Jun-22 12:31:12

Mines having its best year ever this year I don’t feed or water it. I’m giving some away.

M0nica Thu 23-Jun-22 14:44:50

I split all my crowns last year, so it was slow to get goung, but I pulled nearly 10lbs of thick stems yesterday.

H1954 Thu 23-Jun-22 19:13:38

Our original crown was split three years ago - we grow them in dustbins as we have such a small garden. Up to this year we have had excellent yields but this year and like aggies the stems are pencil then and almost hollow.

The plan is to give them a covering of well rotted manure, keeping the crown uncovered naturally, over the winter and hope it boosts their performance.

Thank you everyone for your responses, happy gardening!

lixy Thu 23-Jun-22 20:31:39

Rhubarb is a very greedy plant, so should respond well to a good, nourishing mulch. Fingers crossed for next year.