Your comments and tips

24 May 17, Sean (Australia - temperate climate)

I live in the Latrobe Valley (Gippsland) and we usually leave the stalks for the winter. If you get severe frosts or a bit of snow you could do what you have suggested and then cover the plants with a good layer of straw or hay for insulation.

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17 May 17, +david richardson (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi I have a single small plant which is producing multiple stems but they are very thin and as a result not really usable. the plant is on a balcony which gets sun in the morning, this is melbourne! is there something I can do to create more growth of usable stems? many thanks

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17 May 17, Jack (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Rhubarb responds to heavy doses of old manure, blood & bone, etc. It also likes plenty of water which is often a challenge for plants grown in tubs. Your aspect is fine and living in Melbourne is not a handicap! Using good potting mix, not cheap stuff, is a must when growing plants in tubs as they need to get everything out of the amount of soil that is in the tub. If it is not practical to re pot it just make a few holes down beside the roots with a stick and pour some blood & bone down the hole before closing it over. Keep the rhubarb mulched and moist and bury all of your kitchen scraps under the mulch. This will rot down and provide extra nutrients.

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06 May 17, Kevin Spencer (Australia - temperate climate)

Rhubarb sold inshops has long stems. Mine has shorter, thicker stems and large leaves. Do growers place boards either side of plants to make the stems grow longer?

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07 May 17, Lily Martin (Australia - temperate climate)

I believe they grow rhubarb in very little light which makes the stems long.

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07 May 17, Giovanni (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Rhubarb can be very variable. I have seen both short and long stemmed rhubarb in the shops. I have also seen some with mostly green stems and some that are deep red for their full length. As most rhubarb is grown from seed, and there are also a number of different varieties, this variation is inevitable. at a house where we used to live the soil was very rich and we had thick, deep red stems that were about 600 mm (24") long. We shifted to another town with a slightly different climate and soil that still needs improving more and the stems are still a good colour but not as long.

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08 May 17, Kevin Spencer (Australia - temperate climate)

Thank you for the comments. I live in an area with heavily leached soils and a deficiency at least in iron. I will try using volcanic rock dust and trace elements and see if that makes any difference.

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28 Apr 17, Margaret Jacobs (Australia - temperate climate)

My rhubarb is about 3 years old, but is now producing very thin and short stalks. I have just added manure and compost to the soil, but it doesn't seem to have helped. How can I produce thicker stalks?

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01 May 17, Barb (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Margaret, Is your rhubarb getting enough deep watering? They prefer very deep soil and enough moisture to keep them growing. In my garden I get skinny stalks when my rhubarb is thirsty, and lovely thick stalks when it has adequate water.

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30 Apr 17, Giovanni (Australia - temperate climate)

Most of the rhubarb plants available for sale are grown from seed. These can vary in colour from red to green and the stem thickness can vary from not much more than pencil thickness up to 2.5 cm (1") thick.If you have fed the plants well and they have plenty of water and look healthy you may not be able to improve the stem thickness. If you have just applied the compost and manure I would wait until the new growing season spring and see how well they take off then.

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