Your comments and tips

21 Nov 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)

Rhubarb like plenty of water but if the leaves are enourmous this may not be the problem. Most rhubarb sold at nurseries, etc. is grown from seed and can be very variable in stalk colour from all green to deep red. If you want red stalks you could sow yourself and discard the green ones when they have grown or, alternatively get a division off a friend that is a good colour. I don't think the stalk colour affects the taste but it certainly looks unappealing when cooked. You could add Cochineal (a natural red food colour made from Cochineal beetles) to boost the colour. if you cook the rhubarb without sugar and add Stevia powder until it taste right for you you will have beautiful rhubarb to eat minus the calories/kilojoules.

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10 Nov 16, Di Kealy (Australia - temperate climate)

Our pet sheep has just demolished our rhubarb plant, leaves and all, with no side effects (for the sheep!). Part of the crown is still above ground, will it come back again? Thanks

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16 Nov 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)

Hello Di, Providing there is still a bud on the root crown it will recover. At this time of the year add a bit of manure and mulch and keep it moist to give it a chance.

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16 Nov 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)

our chooks and turkeys regularly cleane up the rhubarb if they got a chance. Maybe the oxalic acid doesn't affect birds them.

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05 Nov 16, Lorraine (Australia - temperate climate)

Can I transplant rhubarb in November in Adelaide. Is is possible to transplant all the rhubarb plants as they are growing and not divide them. Thank you for your comments.

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16 Nov 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)

I have moved rhubarb at many different times of the year. I remove nearly all of the leaves and watered it well after transplanting. it recovered fairly quickly. Winter is the ideal time.

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31 Oct 16, Gary (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi, I live in Brisbane Australia and my rhubarb is in its first year of planting and is doing quiet well, do I let the stalks and leaves on the first year and then just drop off or do I pick them off Thanks Gary

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17 Nov 16, John Mauger (Australia - temperate climate)

The leaves on rhubarb, asparagus, etc., are building up the crowns. If your soil is well fed and there are plenty of stalks. taking a few shouldn't hurt. You will need to hold the plant at the base as you harvest so as not to pull the plant out or damage the root system which is soft and spongy

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17 Oct 16, Monica McDougall (Australia - temperate climate)

My leaves are going yellow, query cause? Also what ferterliser do you give the plant?

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27 Oct 16, Tempest (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Monica, Given you're in an Australian temperate climate, I'm guessing you've had the same cold wet weather as the rest of us. I believe it's the cold temperatures that are causing the leaves to go yellow. Just pull off the yellow leaves and let the plant put its energy into new leaf stalks. Any fertiliser that is high in nitrogen is fine. I like to use well-rotted chicken manure, Rooster Booster (pelletised chicken manure) or even dynamic lifter. But even compost is just as fine to use. Nitrogen is what encourages leafy growth, so it's perfect for rhubarbs as it's the leaf stalks we want. I've read that it's nearly impossible to overfeed a rhubarb, as they are quite heavy feeders.

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