Veganic rhubarb?

[harpy]

Does anyone grow rhubarb, and how easy is it without using manure? (Actually horse manure is freely available round here because there is a police stables down the road, so I suppose I could shovel some of that up from the pavement with a fairly clear conscience - but it would be nicer to do without.)

[harpy]

No one? The rhubarb has now arrived so unless anyone has a better idea it's getting homemade compost and possibly some seaweed meal dug into its hole. And perhaps a bit of hedgehog dung

[cecilia]

Hi ! I actually grow rhubarb without any problem. A bit of homemade compost and that's it !

[harpy]

That's good news, thank you Cecilia!

I always thought of rhubarb as being fairly easy to grow (we used to have some and as far as I remember it just kept growing without any intervention) but now there seems to be a bit of a mystique about it.

For example, I was reading somewhere that what you put in the hole when you plant it is all the nourishment it's ever going to get because you can't disturb the roots afterwards, but presumably if you stick compost etc on top of the soil round it the worms will shift it into the soil as per usual.

[twinkle]

I know this is an old thread, but in case you're still interested harpy (or anyone else!) my rhubarb grows very well and I don't put anything on it. However, my mum gave me a tip to always leave the leaves (which you're going to discard due to their poisonousness anyway) by the plant so the goodness gets absorbed back into the soil near the roots. I also shifted my compost heap so it is next to the rhubarb and I guess there are nutrients leaking out of the bottom of that and getting to the roots of the rhubarb as well, because it seems to have been in particularly good condition since I shifted the heap.

[harpy]

Thanks Twinkle - actually my rhubarb (which is now in its second year) is getting a bit out of hand without any assistance from me so i don't think I should encourage it! I do have a second plant in a big pot so I might start putting the leaves on that as it is going to run out of nutrients eventually.

I think I did put some of my (repulsive-looking but probably quite nutritious) homemade compost on both of them in the spring.

BTW someone was telling me that you shouldn't eat it after the end of July so I feel a rhubarb feast coming.

[Gwydion]

I think I did put some of my (repulsive-looking but probably quite nutritious) homemade compost on both of them in the spring.

Hmmm, remind us to skip on the rhubarb crumble if ever around for tea ;D

[harpy]

Not that sort of compost, the neighbours would probably object. Although as mentioned above the rhubarb probably benefits from all the hedgehog (and cat and fox) dung. Maybe I won't have a rhubarb feast after all, on second thoughts.

[DavidT]

NEVER put compost on rhubarb. Only custard.

[harpy]

Ew!