Victoria Clare wrote:
That was my guess, specially if it hasn't been fed at all this year.

What do you mean by feeding? Liquid or solid? How do you apply it when
it's in leaf? I probably didn't put enough manure on it over the winter,
but am wondering how to feed without submerging the leaves.

I don't think there was much more pulling last year than would be expected
in a season: AFAICS it hadn't been pulled at all before August so unless I
was disturbing something by pulling too late I don't think it was
overpulled.

I tend to pull and compost weedy thin stems, but I also take them as a
warning that the plant is hungry and apply loads of compost & chicken poo.
Haven't seen any for a couple of years now, even in my thin stony soil!

I think the reason ours has weedy stems is that because it was flattened
they had to grow further to get to the light (all the leaves have been
compressed together). Some of the leaves are yellow and ragged where they
don't get enough light. The central stems are still strong, but it's the
ones around the edges that have been flattened which I'm wondering what to
do with.

Thanks
Theo