Flowering rhubarb

[Paulh]

I've got a number of rhubarb plants - a Champagne, a Timperley Early and four of an unknown vigorous variety that comes from my brother's garden. The Champagne has always thrown up flower stalks but more so this year than ever. My perception is that it crops less well than the others. I cut out the flowering stems.

Should I dig it up? Should I keep it? can I discourage it from flowering?

Any help welcome.

PS Is it relevant that it was given to me by my mother-in-law?

[Paulh]

[MattD]

I think I've got a Champagne rhubarb that puts up flower stalks pretty much a week after the first leaves, or at least it seems like that.  I wondered at first if it was stressed or something, but it seems to do it every year and otherwise it's very healthy with lots of vigorous stem and leaves.   I have cut the flower stems off for the last 5 or 6 years, but I've decided to cut my losses and dig it out and plant another variety somewhere else - Timperley Early I think it is.   Sadly my family only tolerates one rhubarb dose a year.......

[Bill Door]

I was told by my father to dig the plant out after the end of Summer and leave it out of the soil until spring.  Then split and replant it as much as you need.  Don't touch it for the first year of production.

Be aware that the root/tuber of the rhubarb could be extensive and massive.  Don't split it until you want to plant it.  Use a new spot to put the root in and give it a deep hole with plenty of compost/BFB meal under and over it.  Water it in well.

I have been told that flowering indicates that the plant is getting tired.  I am in the process of moving my rhubarb some of the old ones are flowering but the new ones are ok.  The old ones are at least fives years in the ground so they need to be shifted.

Anyway that is my take on it.  Good luck with it.  By the way I don't think the mother-in-law could put the fluence on it :o))))

regards Bill

[Paulh]

Thanks, Bill, I'll try that. Kill or cure!

[goodlife]

Rhubarb will flower every year and no manner of feeding or amount of moisture or lack of it makes any difference.
Some varieties of rhubarb are slightly more robust growers than others but essentially they all should make big lumps...how much they've been harvested and how well fed and watered does make big difference though.
Usually one should aim to divide old crowns once the growth has naturally died down for the season.. from very late autumn onwards and do so before the new growth starts again. Saying that..they are tough growers and provided the plants get some TLC after planting..I've divided as late as few week ago when the growth was well ahead.
My unknown rhubarb variety was re-planted few years ago and receive huge amount of mulches during the year and spring feed with chicken pellets every year..it grows VERY strongly and still throws few flower stems every year. The original clump that I divided was over 10 yrs old and was still going strong..just getting too big for its space and it had to be moved anyway into different location.
If yours are producing very spindly stalks and small leaves it might need starting again or it is just hungry.

[Digeroo]

I am finding that some varieties seem to be more prone to flowering than other, I simply cut them off asap.  I was told that if the plant flowers it will then die, but this does not seem to hold true.

I was something of a failure at rhubarb it simply hates my garden but at the lottie things are different .   On advise from this forum I give them a lot of feed.  I have taken to stuffing bundles of weeds underneath, which do not seem to regrow and it mulches up the rhubarb and eventually rots down.  This year my rhubarb is enormous.   I seems to be a very hungry plant indeed.   I have a large pile of cabbage stalks which I will hide underneath, last years have now more of less disappeared.

My plot neighbour sited his compost bin right next to my plot, so I planted a rhubarb next to it, which it seems to like very much.

I have one plant grown from seed in the garden which has never been divided it is now a ring of plants since the centre has long since died off.   I have tried several times to move a piece but they always die.  So it has been in the same place for about 20 years.  It is certainly looking better since I started the mega feeding regime.  It seems to like any large pile of biomatter.   

It seems to be very susceptible to Aminopyralid so be careful with manure.   I would be wary of lawn clippings treated with selective weedkiller as well.

[antipodes]

Yes it loves manure and this year I put some organic fertilizer granules around it in late winter and it is mad this year!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine has always flowered, and the size and age of the root don't seem to have anything to do with it. Maybe if you start form seed it would take a few years, but I've never tried it. Don't underestimate the size of the roots; digging them out is a huge task. Pull the flowering stalks off as they appear, feed it regularly - grass cuttings are good if you don't have a safe manure supply - and it'll flourish.

[Paulh]

Thanks all, I'll try some more tlc before anything more drastic.