I haven't had a lot of luck growing rhubarb out here. I haven't tried very hard, but I also read someplace that rhubarb likes acidic conditions so I decided to give up.

I also remember from when I grew it in the midwest that it likes a lot of nitrogen (but I don't remember what "a lot" really is).

YIPEE!! Dang cats...

What happy news!

I'd grow some rhubarb, if I had the room...

Laura, I don't really have room either, that's why it was in a pot on the porch, LOL. Today, I dug up a mum, and potted it up, so I would have a place to put it. The rhubarb is now happily tucked in to it's new home in the herb bed. The mum is 'Rhumba', a pretty peachy pink color with yellow centers. If anyone is interested in one, I'll probably bring it to the Spring Swap, if I can make it.

{{gwi:259384}}

Bonnie, that is a gorgeous mum! Unfortunately, I don't do well with them, but I love to look! I bought two hydrangea plants, one pink, one blue and can't wait to see what I get with them! I had a blue one that kept trying to turn pink in MD.

I've got strawberry starts... I'll send ya some berries and you can make a strawberry rubarb pie! I get one piece tho!!!

glo

I'm hoping my strawberries do like your rhubarb, I'm not holding out a lot of hope though. I got some starts in October from someone cleaning out his runners. Since I didn't have the bed ready for them yet, I put them in a kiddie pool (with holes in it) for the winter. I let them grow as long as the weather held out then mulched them with straw and circled the pool with my stash of shredded leaves to insulate it.

I got the strawberry bed finished this week and I pulled the straw off the pool yesterday. Today, I poked around a bit more in the pool and didn't like what I found. Most of the crowns I could find appear to have rotted. I found a few that appear alive but not many. I pulled out all the crowns I could find and put them into trays with good potting soil in hopes that maybe they're not completely dead. I'll leave the pool alone for a while, maybe there are some live ones in there that I missed.

I ordered 2 rhubarb roots/crowns (whatever they're called?)that should be here next month. I got rhubarb and asparagus for my husband.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

I always though rhubarb was the toughest plant around. I am surprised to hear some people cannot grow it.

I don't have any in our garden now, but I have grown rhubarb with good success here and our soils tend toward alkaline. I prepared a large, rich planting hole (lots of good compost added to the soil the plant was planted in). My plant was container grown, so I planted it at the same height it had been growing at. It grew very well. The link below has a lot of useful info for those looking for info on growing Rbarb.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Rhubarb Compendium

Very pretty mums, indeed! (Now I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't go to the swap, as I will be tempted to take home too many beautiful plants...)

Great link, Eatsivy -- thanks.

I LOVE rhubarb, and have been watching mine with DEEP disappointment for the last 4 years! It was one of the first things I put in the first spring after I moved in here, and every year IÂve watched it develop weak, spindly stalks. I usually get a small handful to use each year.

SO last year I decided to give it a root lift! Because I wasnÂt really ready to be planting anything that first spring, it was put into, pretty much, my wonderful clay. I knew from past experience that wouldnÂt work, but I guess it was just blind wishful thinking! When it was still looking feeble last summer, I dug the whole thing up, dug out a fairly large hole, and filled it back up with almost pure compost! I replanted the roots in the compost, and now itÂs time to see if my efforts have worked! The first little leaf is up, and when I push back the mulch, there are a bunch more in the wings! IÂve been keeping it watered over winter, and today I just gave it a good feeding of 20-20-20. In another month IÂll know if I was successful or not! I choose to believe it will grow well now, butÂif it doesnÂt, IÂm not giving up!!!

HereÂs what it looks like today!

Not exactly impressive, but itÂs a start!

Skybird

P.S. Laura, you should definitely be coming to the swap! I'll be bringing some mums! :-)
There's no such thing as taking home too many plants!

Skybird, what was amazing to me is that I didn't even water the pot ALL winter, because I thought it was dead! When I went to plant it in the ground, the entire pot was one giant rootball. I had to dig a huge hole just to plant it, and like you, I filled that thing with compost. I know I won't get to harvest any this year, but I just hope I've picked a spot where it will be happy.

Bonnie

Spring Swap? What is this delightful enabler of such addictive habits, and when, and where?
Someone please fill me in on when a swap might be occurring, and if you will have any wintersown garden veggies to swap.
THANKS!!

Skybird -- Those mums do look lovely. Must....resist....! *grin*

Hi Mayberrygardener -- here's the thread with all the swap details so far:

Here is a link that might be useful: Spring Swap 2009