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Rhubarb requires well drained ground and ample growing room.
Week 13; Plant out 750-900mm (30”-36”) apart in deeply dug, well manured ground.
Crowns of varieties with small buds should be covered with about 25mm (1”) of soil, but large-budded sorts should be set with buds just above soil level.
Newly planted crowns should not be cropped until the second growing season, any flower stems that appear should be cut off, to avoid weakening the young plant.
Remove any flower stems that may appear.
Apply a generous mulch of organic matter, e.g. garden compost, composted bark or well-rotted farmyard manure to established and new plants.
Spread it around rather than over the crowns.
Week 9> apply a dressing of sulphate of ammonia at 60g (2oz) per sq m.
Do not over-feed with nitrogen-rich fertiliser as this can encourage flowering.
Week 15; Sow rhubarb seeds thinly in 25mm (1”) deep drills in the open and thin out in stages until they are 250mm (10") apart.
Week 45-10; Carefully lift three to four year-old crowns when dormant in preparation for division
Avoid damaging the thick roots as much as possible.
Divide the crowns into sections with a sharp spade, each with some healthy roots and at least one strong bud.
Check for signs of hollow crowns (crown rot) disease and discard all infected material.
Replant the divisions with the growing point at, or just below, the soil surface.
n.b . prior to replanting; cultivate the soil, remove any perennial weeds, and incorporate copious amounts of organic matter.
In preparation for forcing, select a few suitable crowns and leave them sitting on the surface of the soil to allow the frost to get at them.
Week 51; Cover crowns selected for forcing with an upturned box or bucket to exclude the light.
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