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Rhubarb with soggy stems

• Message 1. 

  Posted by 7magpies (U8108459) on Tuesday, 14th June 2011

  I haven't been picking my rhubarb for several weeks, and decided to pick some today, but I've found that many of the stalks have gone spongy and soft. Any idea why this should have happened? Some of the leaves look a bit brown and raggy, which could be snail damage from wheh they were smaller. We've had a drought here, and I did water it sometimes but not a lot, as I thought rhubarb could usually take care of itself.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by realfood (U13916672) on Tuesday, 14th June 2011

  The rhubarb will be naturally dying down, especially if you have had a drought where you are. I never pick rhubarb after May.

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  Posted by northwards (U14324094) on Wednesday, 15th June 2011

  Isn't June a bit early for rhubarb to die back naturally? Mine keeps going until well into the autumn. Maybe it might have something do do with the current dry weather, but to me this sounds like a disease problem of some sort. Unfortunately I haven't a clue what it could be - sorry. Maybe someone else will come along with the right answer

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  Posted by 7magpies (U8108459) on Thursday, 16th June 2011

  I think you could be right, realfood. It is a bit early for rhubarb to be dying down, but perhaps it got fed up waiting for rain. Last year the rhubarb seemed to get a second wind in June and put out lots of new stems. If it does this again perhaps I'll pick a few more, since I haven't made many demands on it at all this year.

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  Posted by londonplantmad (U2392946) on Sunday, 19th June 2011

  You should be able to pick rhubarb from established plants until July. Young plants you should only take a few stems. However this year my established rhubarb grew very strong. After the first few pickings it collapsed and went very thin and hollow. I removed most of the damaged stems and just left it. Then i composted all around all the clumps. With all the recent rain it has now sprung back to life and is growing strong again. I think because we had no rain for weeks watering with the hose was not enough. We also had a lot of rain which was blowing the plants about. Since all the rain it is recovering but i lost lots of stems that just withered. I doubt i will pick more this year now as by the time it is back to full strength it will be July.

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  Posted by londonplantmad (U2392946) on Thursday, 21st July 2011

  Since my last posting my rhubarb is now completely back to normal. All the roots have lovely big thick stems and look very healthy. It must be the rain we keep having.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by 7magpies (U8108459) on Thursday, 21st July 2011

  MIne is just the same! I've even taken one or two late pickings from it, it looks so big and strong now. Must be this crazy weather we've had this year - I expect the rhubarb thought summer had come in April (didn't we all?) and therefore decided to die back in May/June. Now it has reconsidered this decision and sprung back into life.

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