Your comments and tips

23 Mar 20, gary ellard (Australia - temperate climate)

have been growing rhubarb in a 2mtr square wicking bed. Have shreddard old horse manure and placed it on top of the bed as a mulch. Before i did this , i was cultivating stalks regularly but then the leaves turned red and i lost the lot. I was led to believe rhubarb loves manure of horse. Have i done any thing wrong?

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24 Mar 20, Chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

It might be too acid. Have you checked the soil pH?

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24 Mar 20, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Manures generally have little NPK. When you put these or other mulches in the soil, they grab all the N to break the manure down, therefore the plant has little access to N and don't grow much. In future put the manure in a pile and wet it and turn it over regularly to break it down to compost before putting it on the garden. When applying mulch over put it on about 50mm thick. Mulch 200mm thick will take a long time for water to pernitrate through to the soil.

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09 Feb 20, Mary Russell (Australia - arid climate)

I am growing my rhubarb in a tub.The plant grows 3 slim stalks .One stalk dies then another grows.lt keeps repeating this pattern.So into able to use in cooking I keep the plant in semi shade as the sun was too harsh in good topsoil Can you help please

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15 Feb 20, Cassie (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Also rhubarb is a heavy feeder and evolved in cooler temperate climates. It does not like its roots to get hot and being in a tub in a hot climate might be impairing irs growth

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10 Feb 20, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Rhubarb needs full sun and tolerates light shade. As I have outside garden beds I don't do pots. Pots need a lot more attention to soil requirements and watering. In most cases plants will survive in hot weather if watered regularly and if need be some shade. You say in a tub, does it have enough drainage.

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20 Jan 20, Louise R (Australia - temperate climate)

I haven't been able to buy Rhubarb Crowns in Armadale 6112. W.A. You can only buy Punnets.

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03 Dec 19, Spike Petersen (Australia - temperate climate)

I have been wondering if a raised garden bed would be ok to grow rhubarb as a horticulturist this is one plant that has been a difficult one to grow as well as strawberries nothing much else is a problem. Its been said that I can get a broom handles to grow yet rhubarb eludes me. Thanks in advance

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14 Dec 19, Craig chapman (Australia - temperate climate)

Gday spike yes this is my first year growing rhubarb in raised garden beds, my harvest is unbelievable,our temperature where I am gets very hot 46 is not uncommon, however this year I covered my entire veg I patch with fruit fly netting (we get the here) the netting is only 2-3% shade so on the roof I staggered 70% shade cloth that is 1.8 wide the missed 1.8 and so on so every thing gets sun but not all the time, my beds consisted Of we’ll rotten cow manure with a sandy top about 4-5 inches then sugar cane mulch to keep moisture in, hope this helps..

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04 Dec 19, anon (Australia - temperate climate)

I have never grown it although my mother grew it in the 1960's. I think it grew a bit wild. Read all the notes here about climate to grow in, soil type, good draining soil, not heavy wet soil. Research on the net

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