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This video explains how to care for rhubarb during colder conditions to keep plants healthy and productive. I cover clearing old growth, mulching, protecting crowns, and simple maintenance that supports strong regrowth. It is helpful for gardeners wanting reliable harvests and a better understanding of seasonal rhubarb care.
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Looking after your rhubarb in autumn and
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wintertime. Welcome to Gardening with
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Ben. Yes, it may be dormant the rhubarb
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at this time of year, but it's a vital
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time to give it the food, the energy
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that it needs ready for next year's
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growth. Now, one of the things that you
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need to do with rhubarb is any dying
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leaves that are dying around the plants,
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take them away, remove them. You don't
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want any diseases hanging around, so
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clear them away. Also make sure they are
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weeded around them and weed-free because
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they don't want to compete with the
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weeds. The weeds take a lot of the water
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and rhubarb needs its water to help it
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grow really well. So yeah, make sure
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that they kept weed free. One thing that
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I always do is I have mulch around my
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rhubarb plants. Having mulch around it
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keeps the weeds down. It keeps them
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moist and it keeps them thriving and
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they'll do well and grow really, really
1:01
well every year.
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Also, one thing that I always do is I
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always add chicken manure come
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springtime around the plants to give it
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that food that it needs to get started
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for the year ahead. Now, if you're
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adding chicken manure or manure around
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the rhubarb plant, don't place it on the
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crown. it can burn the plant and kill it
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and you don't want to do that. You don't
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want to lose your rhubarb plant. So be
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mindful when you're putting the manure
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down not to actually put it on the crown
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because it can rot it and kill it. Now
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another thing what people do at this
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time of year because the rhubarb is a
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dormant plant at this time. It's not
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growing. Mine's still got a bit of life
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in it. So it's not fully dyed off yet.
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But as soon as the cold weather comes,
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the frost comes, it will go dormant and
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it'll go to sleep for the autumn winter
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period and then it'll wake up around
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March, April time and get growing again
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for next year. But a lot of people in
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the winter time if they want another
2:01
rhubarb plant is to dig it up and split
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it. Now you have to do this when it's
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dormant period because if you're doing
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it during its growing period, it won't
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take very well. So do it while it's
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dormant. And when you're digging it up,
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make sure you be careful with it because
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the roots on a rhubarb are absolutely
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massive. And you don't realize how big
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rhubarb roots are. They really are big.
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Now, when I did my rhubarb area up, I
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cleared all of it out. I dug it all up
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and now I've got about 20 plants growing
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on my a lotment. Yes, you can never have
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enough rhubarb. It's expensive to buy,
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but yeah, um it's a great time to dig it
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up and divide it if you need be. And to
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divide it, it's pretty easy. You get the
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root up and then just slice it in the
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middle. And you can slice it into four
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sometimes and then just replant it now
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while it is dormant. But once you've
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split it, don't pick it in its first
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year because it needs its energy to get
3:00
growing again. Don't be tempted to
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harvest the rhubarb in the first year
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when you've split it, let it take shape,
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let it grow, and let it establish. And
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then the year after, pick it to your
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heart's content. and have all that
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delicious rhubarb off it. The same goes
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for if you're planting a new rhubarb
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plant this year. Don't pick it in its
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first year next year. Pick it the year
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after once it's fully established. I
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know it's tempting to pick the rhubarb
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and harvest it because it's growing so
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well, but don't do it. Just let it grow
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and get established in its first year.
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So, those are the tips of how to look
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after your rhubarb this autumn winter
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period. Remember to drop us a follow to
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stay up to date with all our tips and
3:43
advice.
#Home & Garden
#Home & Garden