The time to divide or move rhubarb is in the autumn or spring.
rhubarb-patch-oct27
rhubarb-bed-autumn
- dig up the crowns (the fleshy rhizomes and buds)
rhubarb-crown
- discard old or damaged parts of the crown
- use healthy bits of crown with 2-3 good buds on them
rhizomes-&-buds
- prepare the ground with plenty of well rotted farmyard manure or compost ( rhubarb is very greedy)
- mulch the rhubarb crowns once planted
- be gentle with the young rhubarb plants in the first year, better not to force them, or to pull too many stalks
- therefore best to lift & divide a small section of the rhubarb bed each year, so there are always some older plants to force and use.
rhubarb-in-March
This book from Amazon has some good rhubarb recipes!
Now is a good time to divide or move rhubarb, but if time is short, spring will do.
strawberry-runner-in-pot
When the roots of the strawberry runner are growing out of the base of it’s
pot, cut it away from the parent plant.
Grow the young plants on, allowing them to become well rooted, and plant
them out in the autumn.
* Plant them quite shallow, with the base of the crown at soil
level, so that they do not rot.
* Start a new bed with the new runners.
* Strawberries should only be grown in the same place for 4 years
and then moved on. This is because viruses and pests build up in
the soil which reduce the crop.
The plantlets on strawberry runners which were potted up four weeks ago , have grown into strong young strawberry plants.
strawberry-roots
New roots have grown down and out of the bottom of the pot, as shown in the picture of the bottom of the pot above..
strawberry-linked
The runner, connecting the new plant in the pot with the mother plant, can
be cut & the peg can be removed.
cut-strawberry-cord
The new, young strawberry plant is now independent and able to feed itself. The
plant must be watered regularly whilst it is in the pot, to keep it damp.
strawberry-plants
