Rhubarb: Dead or a tough beast?

[kt.]

I moved some rhubarb last autumn & also planted 2 new crowns I had purchased. Everywhere I read advised not to pick the first years crop so it would get better established for the future. Now the leaves are either dead or dieing and the stalks, though thin,  have wilted and almost died too. Some are now laid flat across the ground surface.

I did not think rhubarb did this. Is it not supposed to remain in situ? More so when it has not been picked.... Should I leave the dieing / wilted stuff, or remove them now down to the crowns again?

[kt.]

[Tin Shed]

My rhubarb does this in the autumn. It seems to be a bit early in the year to do this ,but maybe the strange weather has had some thing to do with it. I have had my rhubarb for about 20 years, it is a very early variety but can't remember the name -  and the weather this year upset it slightly - it seemed to srtat to wilt a bit after the very hot April and then the wet and windy May, however it has picked up and is looking much better than it usually does at this time of year. I usually remove the wilted and dead leaves and keep the plant tidy, have always done this, but not sure whether it is the right thing to do - the plant doesn't seem to mind keeps prodcing rhubarb year after year!

[Jeannine]

I never do anything to mine, it is stuck at the botton of the lottie, full width so there is tons, it dies down on it's own and it's dead foliage breaks down across the winter and composts itself. I never feed it or anything. It died off early this year , I guess because of the floods  right down to nothing but it has all regrown and is huge again. XX Jeannine

[saddad]

Mine wilted early this year... It is unlikely to have given up the ghost...
:-X

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine grew like mad, but flopped just before the end of the wet weather. I can't imagine it dying on me though!