Your comments and tips

17 Dec 15, Clara (Australia - temperate climate)

There are tiny white-ish flies eating the leaves of my rhubarb. They seem to prefer the smaller leaves and have completely decimated several leaves to the point that the plants are really struggling. I have tried pyrethrum but it is not helping. Does anyone know what these flies are and how to get rid of them?

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26 Dec 15, Peyton Mills (Australia - temperate climate)

They sound like aphids to me. Try planting garlic near it will help. A mix of garlic, chilli powder, coffee in soapy water make a good pesticide for them. Neem oil and soapy water is another recipe, as well any herbal oils with soapy water. If none of these work then try water pressure or removing them yourself, then re-locating or replanting your rhubarb. If you have aphids then usually ants come along with them since they are attracted to the honeydew secreted by the aphid, so planting peppermint will repel ants.

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16 Dec 15, Christine Salanitro (Australia - temperate climate)

I have been trying to grow rhubarb now for about five years. I have tried with bought small plants and also grown my own plants from seed. in all cases my plants do very well and become nice big healthy plants,then when they are two years old, one by one the leaves turn yellow they wilt and die. the dying process just happens out of the blue usually within two days the plant just dies.It can be healthy in the morning then it will starts wilting by lunch time and it wont pick up, the next day it is floppy and finished. I have tried growing plants in full sun, under the shade of a tree and in large pots. the results have always been the same. two year old healthy plants then death. please can anyone help or should I just give up

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17 Dec 15, Paul (Australia - arid climate)

Your problem sound strange to me, I have been growing Rhubarb for over 15 years and still have the same plant I was given way back then. It has divided every year and now my garden and aquaponics sport over ten "Sydney Red" rhubarb plants and many more given away. Have you ever repotted them before spring? If not I would give that a go with some rich organic matter under the lifted crown. In my ponics system the plant there has not been touched for 5 years now and thrives to the extent of taking over that bed. Keep moist not wet and mulch around the crown not over it, dynamic lifter applied in spring and summer, nothing over autumn and winter. Works for me, should work for you.

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17 Dec 15, Alison (Australia - temperate climate)

Maybe its the soil? It could be too clay like, and waterlogging the roots. I have a rhubarb planted in a raised garden bed in a 'no dig' garden made of mushroom compost, lucern hay, and chook poo. The mix has been topped up since the plant was planted 3 years ago, but thats all that I've done. The whole veg patch is under a piece of shadecloth, so gets filtered sunlight, and gets regular watering in summer along with the rest of the veg garden, and we went away for 3 months over last winter and left the maintenance to relatives, and it still didnt die. Not sure if its just used to being ignored, or what, but it grows like a weed and never seems to die back - even in winter! It was a transplated cutting from another old plant 3 years ago and has been split since then. The original plant it came from died - that was in a clay soil...

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15 Dec 15, Paul (Australia - arid climate)

Rhubarb has a tendancy to die back if too hot or cold, the crown still remains and will grow back when ready. Just dont drown it with standing water! I grow it in raised beds, containers and aquaponics beds, all with no problem as long as the roots do not remain waterlogged. Remember, if your rhubarb flowers it is either thirsty or hungry! So keep it well watered and feed monthly!!!

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13 Dec 15, Penny Pritchard (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

The whole plant appears to be dieing can you give any reason why? Many thanks

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08 Dec 15, Jo (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

Boiling rhubarb is an excellent way of cleaning a saucepan with absolutely no effort

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18 Nov 15, Ruth (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Annette, there are various rhubarb varieties, some have green, some red stalks, the red ones tend not to be so sour! happy gardening

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17 Nov 15, Annette Jackson (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

Am growing rhubarb in Johannesburg in a sunny. Position is that why it has green stalks

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