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I'm trying to decide what to do with my rhubarb this winter

Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 3:44 pm
by Stephen
I should have moved the clumps in my garden last winter but I waited fir really cold weather and by then it was growing.

However, in the garden it suffers from too much sun and too little water. It is in a south facing location and on the other side of the wall are several tall leylandii which not just restrict the rain that falls there also suck the dampness from the soil. A few yards away I can notice how much damper the soil is after rain.

So move it.

Do I do this in November or December whether the weather is cold or not?
I can find a shadier spot on the north side of some surrant bushes.
How about digging a pit and putting a lining of woven landscaping fabric to improve water retention or is this likely to lead to water-logging in winter?

I can put lots of manure and/or compost around the roots.

I have a decent ammount of rhubarb on the 'lottie but could make space there.

P.S. what might be suitable in the hot dry space?

Re: I'm trying to decide what to do with my rhubarb this winter

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:49 pm
by Diane
Looking on the interweb - it seems it doesn't really matter - autumn, winter or spring (but not summer). So I guess whenever you have a couple of hours when you feel like donning wellies and getting out the spade and fork. It's a really tough plant. A friend has been trying to kill a root of rhubarb for a year or so now - but it just keeps on popping up.

Re: I'm trying to decide what to do with my rhubarb this winter

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 7:52 pm
by Stephen
Thanks Diane.

Re: I'm trying to decide what to do with my rhubarb this winter

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2019 7:15 am
by Primrose
I'd try and move it to a more friendly location once the main producing season has finished, ie September onwards but as Diane has warned, the roots are really tough. I broke a fork last time I tried to split and move my clump.
Having it in a place where confers suck away moisture is never going to allow it the chance of growing healithy and in my experience rhubarb can thrive happily is partial shade as long as it gets adequate moisture.

if you've got some well rotted manure to dig into a pit in a new location this will help it re-establish. Rhubarb can be surprisingly hard to kill. I'm not sure whether lining a pit with some fabric would be effective as longer term this will rot away and I'm not sure how much additional moisture this would help retain. . Plenty of Well rotted manure would probably be a better long term moisture retainer.

Moving it to your allotment would be an option but it's always convenient to be able to pop out into the garden to pick a few sticks if you can find another space for it.

Re: I'm trying to decide what to do with my rhubarb this winter

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2019 7:38 am
by Shallot Man
Late Father would dig it up every few years, leave it on the soil to get a few frosts at it. Then chop off the outside layers. Replant. The inner bit went on the dung heap.

Re: I'm trying to decide what to do with my rhubarb this winter

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2019 8:34 am
by Primrose
With a really big clump a saw or axe may be needed !