Spider wrote:
On 30/10/2010 18:39, Rusty Hinge wrote:

I intend to refrain from pulling stems the first year. Should I let the
stems die back in their own way, or cut them back at the end of the
season? Also, do I pull or cut out any flower stems, please?

I let them die back, then fold the soggyflappy things over the crown,
throwing on any weeds, the cut-down perpetual sweet pea stems, more
weeds, cut down michaelmas daisy stalks, more weeds, etc, but not
allowing them to turn into a compost heap and cook the crowns.

Should protect the crowns from any severe frost - not because they might
get damaged - they won't - but as an aid to early prouting.

Cut any flower stems at the bases as soon as possible is my advice. They
are excellent in large floral arrangements thobut.

Just remember, rhubarb is a damp-ground plant, and it's difficult to
give it too much water when it's in growth. It likes humus in the soil
too, so dress it regularly with compost. leaf-mould, well-rotted muck
etc.

It will have plenty of humus, being next to my compost heaps, but it
will be watered religiously during the growing season.

Good. I think I've mentioned that it's difficult to drown rhubarb.

When you come to divide the crowns, lift them and replant some of the
satellite crowns, discarding the centre - or better, use the centre(s)
to force early rhubarb in a warm humid place in the early spring, *THEN*
discard them.

Sounds like good advice. Thanks.

I lost a previous crown of rhubarb to Honey Fungus. I never saw the
toadstools, but the dead crown and the earth reeked strongly of
mushrooms. Since rhubarb is prone to HF, I assumed the worst. I hope
the same doesn't happen to my new crowns. They are not planted near the
original site, so fingers crossed.

They don't need to be - your clone of HF probably stretches over all the
gardens in your block, maybe further.

First time I've heard of rhubarb succumbing to it, though.

--
Rusty