Rhubarb Rhubarb
Early winter is traditionally the time to divide your rhubarb and ideally this needs to be done every 5-6 years. First decide where your new plants will go, prepare the holes, then dig up the old plant and split vertically into sections with a sharp knife or spade. Make sure there are a couple of buds and plenty of root in each new section.
Alternatively, if you want a spare plant for yourself or to give to somebody else, just cut a piece of crown from the side of the existing plant with a spade whilst still in the ground.
Replant the root sections as soon as possible, planting with the crown just below the surface of the soil. Water in well and mulch around the plant with well rotted manure. Don't harvest any stems in the plant's first year as it will need all it's energy for developing and growing a new root structure. For this reason it is best to have a couple of plants at different ages.
If you have plenty of new crowns you can offer them to other plot-holders, or you may decide to sacrifice one or two for some early forced rhubarb. In this case, leave the new plant out of the ground until it has been exposed to some cold weather, then replant it and cover with some straw and a large upturned pot. The resulting stems will be very tender and pink. Your young plant will probably not survive this process or will certainly be much weakened so is best relegated to the compost heap.
If you want early rhubarb every year then mature plants are more able to survive being forced. Cover the plant in December/January and after the first harvest of blanched stems take the pot off for the rest of the season and don't pick from it again to let it recover. It's not a good idea to do this every year, but if you have two plants you could alternate each year, forcing one and picking normally from the other. Remember to keep checking under your pot for new growth - and also for slugs who will congregate there!
More info about rhubarb at the RHS website.
Alternatively, if you want a spare plant for yourself or to give to somebody else, just cut a piece of crown from the side of the existing plant with a spade whilst still in the ground.
Replant the root sections as soon as possible, planting with the crown just below the surface of the soil. Water in well and mulch around the plant with well rotted manure. Don't harvest any stems in the plant's first year as it will need all it's energy for developing and growing a new root structure. For this reason it is best to have a couple of plants at different ages.
If you have plenty of new crowns you can offer them to other plot-holders, or you may decide to sacrifice one or two for some early forced rhubarb. In this case, leave the new plant out of the ground until it has been exposed to some cold weather, then replant it and cover with some straw and a large upturned pot. The resulting stems will be very tender and pink. Your young plant will probably not survive this process or will certainly be much weakened so is best relegated to the compost heap.
If you want early rhubarb every year then mature plants are more able to survive being forced. Cover the plant in December/January and after the first harvest of blanched stems take the pot off for the rest of the season and don't pick from it again to let it recover. It's not a good idea to do this every year, but if you have two plants you could alternate each year, forcing one and picking normally from the other. Remember to keep checking under your pot for new growth - and also for slugs who will congregate there!
More info about rhubarb at the RHS website.
Submitted by Tigger
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