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Old 02-01-2016, 04:16 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 15:29:25 -0000, Roger Tonkin
wrote:

I have a large clump of ruhbarb that I was intending to lift
during the winter, split it up and distribute some to friends,
leaving it out in the frost for a bit, then replanting.

However, with all the rain and mild weather, it is now begining
to show signs of growth, so can I still split it up?


Mines is growing fast. I would risk splitting it despite the weather.
I know it should be split in Winter but it's very resistant to a bit
of violence!

Steve

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Old 04-01-2016, 08:15 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On 02/01/2016 16:16, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 15:29:25 -0000, Roger Tonkin
wrote:

I have a large clump of ruhbarb that I was intending to lift
during the winter, split it up and distribute some to friends,
leaving it out in the frost for a bit, then replanting.

However, with all the rain and mild weather, it is now begining
to show signs of growth, so can I still split it up?


Mines is growing fast. I would risk splitting it despite the weather.
I know it should be split in Winter but it's very resistant to a bit
of violence!


Mine (unforced) had enough shoots for rhubarb crumble instead of Xmas
pudding if we had wanted. Daffodil heads are turning down and we had the
wrong sort of Christmas roses out in flower though a bit wet!

Rhubarb is pretty robust so I would split it if you need to.

Still got a few pelargoniums in flower outside in hanging baskets
although they are looking more than a bit bedraggled.

I also have newly germinated weeds like grass, bittercress and groundsel
actively growing with some in flower!

For once my Christmas cactus was out for Xmas - the indoor hyacinths are
late though they didn't seem to really think they had had a winter.

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Regards,
Martin Brown
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Old 04-01-2016, 09:06 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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In message , Martin Brown
writes

Rhubarb is pretty robust so I would split it if you need to.


+1

When I bought my first house in 1975, my Grandfather split the root of
rhubarb on his allotment, and gave a piece to me. I planted, then split
again when I moved house and have been doing so, ever since. The root
is in my eighth garden, plus splits given to my brother and split again.
several times. Locations varied from Herts, Essex, Somerset, Berks to
Aberdeenshire today.

None of these divisions were timed to suit the rhubarb, and once, when I
had to rent, the root spent a year in a disintegrating cardboard box,
and survived. I confidently expect that rhubarb to keep going after the
end of the world :-)
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Old 04-01-2016, 10:03 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

Rhubarb is pretty robust so I would split it if you need to.


What it can't take is hot, dry summers. I had some for a bit, but
it never thrived and died when we had a serious of very dry (for
the UK) summers. I started again about 5 years back because we
seemed to be having a spell of wet summers, and it's growing like
b*gg*ry.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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Old 04-01-2016, 12:33 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On 04/01/2016 10:03, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

Rhubarb is pretty robust so I would split it if you need to.


What it can't take is hot, dry summers. I had some for a bit, but
it never thrived and died when we had a serious of very dry (for
the UK) summers.


I'd believe it would struggle a bit on sandy soils and how summers but
once properly established the root/rhizome seems to become very bulky
and extensive almost in the same vein as caudiciform succulents.

It thrives on my heavy clay soil whatever the weather.

I started again about 5 years back because we
seemed to be having a spell of wet summers, and it's growing like
b*gg*ry.


It stays put but gets bigger at a fair old rate.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown


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Old 04-01-2016, 02:27 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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In article ,
Martin wrote:

Rhubarb is pretty robust so I would split it if you need to.

What it can't take is hot, dry summers. I had some for a bit, but
it never thrived and died when we had a serious of very dry (for
the UK) summers.


I'd believe it would struggle a bit on sandy soils and how summers but
once properly established the root/rhizome seems to become very bulky
and extensive almost in the same vein as caudiciform succulents.

It thrives on my heavy clay soil whatever the weather.


We have had no trouble growing rhubarb in sandy soil. It doesn't get much more
sandy than here. The sand goes down to at least 30 metres.


Mine is sandy, too, but not that deep. I have no trouble at present
but, back in the 1980s, we had several summers with months of
negligible rainfall and hot (by UK standards) sun. The soil
dessicated to 2" down, and was dry at least 2' down, which did for
the rhubarb.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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Old 05-01-2016, 07:41 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On 4/01/2016 9:03 PM, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

Rhubarb is pretty robust so I would split it if you need to.


What it can't take is hot, dry summers.


That's news to me Nick. I've got 4 patches of rhubarb and they've all a
number of years of our long hot summers with at least 5 or more days of
survived +40 temps in each without watering for a whole season if needs
be. There will be no stems to cook, but survive it will. I'm only
watering one patch now because this is another long dry summer and the
other 3 are as sick as brown dogs because I've had to let them go, but
they are still alive and will get through to the end of this summer now
as we've had an inch of rain since September. They'll come good again
next spring.

I had some for a bit, but
it never thrived and died when we had a serious of very dry (for
the UK) summers. I started again about 5 years back because we
seemed to be having a spell of wet summers, and it's growing like
b*gg*ry.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


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Old 05-01-2016, 10:41 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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In article ,
Fran Farmer wrote:

Rhubarb is pretty robust so I would split it if you need to.


What it can't take is hot, dry summers.


That's news to me Nick. I've got 4 patches of rhubarb and they've all a
number of years of our long hot summers with at least 5 or more days of
survived +40 temps in each without watering for a whole season if needs
be. There will be no stems to cook, but survive it will. I'm only
watering one patch now because this is another long dry summer and the
other 3 are as sick as brown dogs because I've had to let them go, but
they are still alive and will get through to the end of this summer now
as we've had an inch of rain since September. They'll come good again
next spring.


Interesting. It's not just my experience, either. I can think of
many explanations, but all are speculative without further evidence.
It is possible that what kills them here is the lack of any decent
growing season under such circumstances, because of our winter
darkness and (in Cambridge) often late spring. So they weaken and
die (which is what happened).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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Old 05-01-2016, 10:53 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On 5/01/2016 9:41 PM, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Fran Farmer wrote:

Rhubarb is pretty robust so I would split it if you need to.

What it can't take is hot, dry summers.


That's news to me Nick. I've got 4 patches of rhubarb and they've all a
number of years of our long hot summers with at least 5 or more days of
survived +40 temps in each without watering for a whole season if needs
be. There will be no stems to cook, but survive it will. I'm only
watering one patch now because this is another long dry summer and the
other 3 are as sick as brown dogs because I've had to let them go, but
they are still alive and will get through to the end of this summer now
as we've had an inch of rain since September. They'll come good again
next spring.


Interesting. It's not just my experience, either. I can think of
many explanations, but all are speculative without further evidence.
It is possible that what kills them here is the lack of any decent
growing season under such circumstances, because of our winter
darkness and (in Cambridge) often late spring. So they weaken and
die (which is what happened).


You've now got me wondering about rhubarb's origins which may have some
bearing on why it might have died on you.
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