rhubarb rhubard

[safronsue]

i have just cleared a shady part of the garden and shredded the leaves from the fig and apple with the mower . It's shady and fertile! just right for rhubarb me thinks. Has anyone advise to give on propagating from seed and of any companion plants?

[Davie Crockett]

Rhubarb is easily propagated from seed, but it will take at least 2 years 'til your pulling it. If you can scrounge a crown to plant now, you will probably harvest next year. Good sized crowns (Football sized) can be split by putting two forks back to back into the crown and levering it apart.

Your rhubarb loves a bit of frost in the root too before it's planted in its final position. Leave the root upside down to catch a frost, then plant in rich soil just covering the crown with about 1/2 inch soil. Don't over water on planting. Rather, wait until the first leaves show in the spring.

[safronsue]

hi davie, no one's ever heard of rhubarb here. i guess i could get my son to bring me back a british crown for xmas but i'll have a go at propogating, already ordered seeds, and will have to be patient about pulling it. i was wondering what would go well with it to cover the grown and to look pretty while it's maturing. a fast and low growing, shade loving perrenial that can be grown from seed. whatsatthen?

[boboff]

Personnally I would cultivate and plant direct the Rhubarb seeds, thinly, then you will probably be able to pick in 2013, if the soil is really good.

Maybe try and get some Ramsons/Wild Garlic as a perrenial with them, try some Comfrey as well as some annuals like Borage, Buckwheat, Lupin, vetch or clover.

[Davie Crockett]

Bleeding Hearts, Fringed Bleeding Hearts and Hosta Plants are all shade loving perrenials, or you could go for dogwood (Cornus) which gives winter interest as well (Coloured bark)...An added bonus with dogwood is that the whips can be used to make colourful basket ware.

[safronsue]

lots of good ideas, thanks! i'd been thinking of hostas, already got some i could divide and luckily we don't have a slug problem. and comfrey, i need to look that up. thanks for you input all!

[Millymollymandy]

As usual I am the harbinger of doom but there's probably a very good reason nobody has heard of rhubarb there. If you have hot dry summers, it isn't going to grow very well if at all and will just hibernate through most of what should be the growing season. I live in a drought stricken zone which is nowhere near as dry as Greece and I just can't grow it, no matter how much water I try to put on it. We had leaves/shoots here for about 3 weeks this spring and the rest of this year it's just been in hibernation, because we've had drought since January this year!

[boboff]

what about sinking a pot to help with keeping water

[gray_bale]

To add my six penny worth.

As with most plants, rhubarb do not come true to type when grown from seed. Your in the lap of the gods, so as to speak.

[safronsue]

you may well be right about the climate. i'll let you know how i get on with it. can but try.

[chadspad]

Ive never had any luck with rhubarb either. Ive even planted it down by our source which tends to be boggy but never really does anything.