Rhubarb question

[snic]

I'm in zone 7. I started some Rhubarb from seed this year. The instructions say to start indoors 6 or 8 weeks before the last frost, then transplant to outdoors when the plants are 6 inches tall. I started late, 4 weeks before last frost. The seedlings sprang up and then languished for a few weeks and wouldn't grow past 2 inches. Finally, maybe 6 weeks ago ago I transplanted a few to the garden and a few into outdoor pots. The ones in the garden all died. One of the ones in pots survived and is thriving - definitely more than 6 inches tall now, with nice big leaves.

My question: should I transplant this brave little guy into the garden now, or just leave it in the pot until winter? If the latter, when should I transplant it? The pot is actually a window box-size container with some chives growing happily along side.

[nereo]

Rhubarb are heavy feeders- if you leave them in a window-box sized container it will quickly outstrip all the nutrients and starve. At this point I’d lean towards transplanting in early fall to avoid the worst of the heat. In zone 7 I’d also look for spots which are a bit cooler in your garden.  I’d try to find a place that gets full sun early in the day but provides shade during the early afternoon, and with plenty of water. 

[snic]

Rhubarb are heavy feeders- if you leave them in a window-box sized container it will quickly outstrip all the nutrients and starve. At this point I’d lean towards transplanting in early fall to avoid the worst of the heat. In zone 7 I’d also look for spots which are a bit cooler in your garden.  I’d try to find a place that gets full sun early in the day but provides shade during the early afternoon, and with plenty of water.

Thanks. Sounds like I should find a spot with eastern exposure, which may not exist in our yard (without ripping something else out). That could be why the little seedlings in the garden died - the area I had in mind gets full sun at midday and shade in the morning and late afternoon.

As for heavy feeding, thanks for that tip too - I'll be sure to mix a lot of compost in when I transplant it.

[RetiredAt63]

I'm impressed that you grew rhubarb from seed.  I've never seen it grown from seed, we just keep splitting roots.  Generally here no-one lets it flower long enough to set seed, since we want the strength going into the roots, not into setting seed.

[snic]

I'm impressed that you grew rhubarb from seed.  I've never seen it grown from seed, we just keep splitting roots.  Generally here no-one lets it flower long enough to set seed, since we want the strength going into the roots, not into setting seed.

I tried buying roots and planting them in the garden, and they didn't come up. I tried twice in different years, no luck. So I bought some seeds. At least they sprouted! I had a whole egg carton full of rhubarb sprouts, and then they refused to grow further (maybe because they quickly exhausted the nutrients in the tiny amount of soil each plant had?). I probably should have transplanted them to larger pots very soon after they sprouted, then to the garden. I might try starting the leftover seeds in January next year, then transplant them to 4" pots a couple weeks after they sprout, and then assuming they thrive, put some in the garden a couple of weeks before the official last frost date (which occurs around tax day).

My plan was to plant several plants in several different spots, under the theory that I don't know which spots are best for rhubarb, so some of them will die, but if I'm lucky one or two will make it.

[RetiredAt63]

I'm impressed that you grew rhubarb from seed.  I've never seen it grown from seed, we just keep splitting roots.  Generally here no-one lets it flower long enough to set seed, since we want the strength going into the roots, not into setting seed.

I tried buying roots and planting them in the garden, and they didn't come up. I tried twice in different years, no luck. So I bought some seeds. At least they sprouted! I had a whole egg carton full of rhubarb sprouts, and then they refused to grow further (maybe because they quickly exhausted the nutrients in the tiny amount of soil each plant had?). I probably should have transplanted them to larger pots very soon after they sprouted, then to the garden. I might try starting the leftover seeds in January next year, then transplant them to 4" pots a couple weeks after they sprout, and then assuming they thrive, put some in the garden a couple of weeks before the official last frost date (which occurs around tax day).

My plan was to plant several plants in several different spots, under the theory that I don't know which spots are best for rhubarb, so some of them will die, but if I'm lucky one or two will make it.

I've also had splits die on me, they can be fussy at first.  I found fresh roots from garden club plant sales or potted up plants at nurseries worked better than the dried up pathetic dormant roots sold in bags.  (Same goes for asparagus, with dormant roots I never had all of them grow).

[Linea_Norway]

Last year, I bought seeds very late and sowed rubarb in June or so. I planted them out at our cabin in July. The cabin is in one of the most harsh climate zones in the country. The rubarb grew to a small but healthy plant. It survived the winter well. I think I put wood curls around them as insulation. In spring, it were the first plants that sprouted. Now they are growing big. I feed them a lot.

[snic]

Rhubarb seems to thrive in cold and harsh climates. We saw it growing like a weed by a parking lot in Iceland, and I still remember the wonderful rhubarb plant by the side of a lake house in northern Vermont a few years back. The problem might be that it's too hot and/or sunny here for it to be happy - although the one growing in the window pot is still doing well in the 30-32 degrees C weather we've been having (86-90 F). The pot is on the deck where it gets full southern sun exposure.

[FLBiker]

Here in Nova Scotia, we inherited a bunch of rhubarb plants right at the edge of our yard, against the wooded ravine.  They get decent sun in the morning, but not a lot after that.  I fertilize them once a year with acid loving plant fertilizer, and mulch them in the spring (just to keep the weeds somewhat at bay) and they are thriving.  I didn't know you could split the roots, though.  I'll have to google the appropriate time of year and give that a try!

FYI, my personal favorite use case for rhubarb is in dhal (replacing the canned tomatoes).

[snic]

Rhubarb are heavy feeders- if you leave them in a window-box sized container it will quickly outstrip all the nutrients and starve. At this point I’d lean towards transplanting in early fall to avoid the worst of the heat. In zone 7 I’d also look for spots which are a bit cooler in your garden.  I’d try to find a place that gets full sun early in the day but provides shade during the early afternoon, and with plenty of water.

I transplanted the survivor a couple of weeks ago (early fall, as suggested!) and it seems to be thriving. The only spot I have for it gets full southern exposure, so hopefully it will be OK next summer. But one thing at a time - I'm just hoping the roots will survive the winter and send up shoots next spring.

Thanks again for the advice!

[RetiredAt63]

Rhubarb are heavy feeders- if you leave them in a window-box sized container it will quickly outstrip all the nutrients and starve. At this point I’d lean towards transplanting in early fall to avoid the worst of the heat. In zone 7 I’d also look for spots which are a bit cooler in your garden.  I’d try to find a place that gets full sun early in the day but provides shade during the early afternoon, and with plenty of water.

I transplanted the survivor a couple of weeks ago (early fall, as suggested!) and it seems to be thriving. The only spot I have for it gets full southern exposure, so hopefully it will be OK next summer. But one thing at a time - I'm just hoping the roots will survive the winter and send up shoots next spring.

Thanks again for the advice!

Good drainage so the roots don't rot over winter, and lots and logs of water next growing season when it is in full sun.  Here rhubarb loves full sun, but you are in a warmer climate.

Good luck!

[snic]

Yup, I plan to keep it well watered. I just now saw a few leaves have been eaten - looks like the deer gave it a nibble. I guess it kinda does look like a hosta, which deer love. Hopefully the oxalic acid gave them a royal stomach ache and they won't return, but I have my doubts. They are just voracious around here.