Whether in cakes or as a compote – rhubarb is very popular in our part of the world. Once planted in an optimal location, the plant is quite robust and easy to care for; However, the hobby gardener should keep in mind that the aromatic poles will need a change of location after a few years. Anyone who takes the needs of rhubarb seriously will enjoy the tasty plant for many years.
Arguments for changing the location of rhubarb plants
Inexperienced hobby gardeners in particular often do not know that numerous types of fruit and vegetables that can be grown in the home green space should change their location after a few years. This also applies to rhubarb - a vegetable that is mostly used as fruit and can live up to 15 years. Anyone who gives rhubarb a new location after a few years will benefit from numerous advantages.
On the one hand, the plant is a heavy feeder. Since rhubarb constantly needs nutrients in large quantities, the soil becomes depleted over time. Depending on the composition of the bed soil, the capacity of the soil is usually exhausted after a few years. A change of location then means fresh substrate. In addition, transplantation brings the following advantages:
- Soil recovers
- Transplantation can be accompanied by propagation
- Transplantation achieves overall rejuvenating effects
Transplanting rhubarb – planting time
You can't always tell from the rhubarb whether a change of location is due; Nutrient deficiencies only become noticeable in later stages through a smaller harvest. At this point, the soil is already completely exhausted and the substrate takes a longer time to build up. It is therefore a good idea to check the soil's nutrient content from time to time in order to be able to initiate a change of location in good time. In an average garden soil, the supply of nutrients is exhausted after seven years at the latest; then the plant should be transplanted. September is best suited for this, when the rest phase begins. Alternatively, the transplant can also be carried out in early spring - ideally shortly before sprouting.
Site conditions
The new location where the rhubarb is planted should be optimally tailored to the needs of the crop. The poles feel particularly comfortable in a place within the local green area that meets the following requirements:
- sunny location
- Partial shade and full shade possible to a limited extent
- protected area
- preferably at the edge of a bed
Tip:
Although rhubarb generally thrives in shady locations, a significantly smaller harvest can then be expected. On the other hand, the leaves in these areas of the garden become larger.
Substrate
In order to provide the rhubarb plant with optimal growth conditions, attention must be paid to the composition of the substrate in addition to a suitable location. The soil should definitely be rich in nutrients; It has proven itself many times to enrich the garden soil with additional nutrients in order to meet the needs of heavy feeders. In addition, the earth should meet the following conditions:
- humous properties
- high permeability
- slightly acidic pH between 5 and 6
Transplanting rhubarb
To move, the rhubarb must first be dug up over a large area. The selected location must then be carefully prepared; The planting hole must be dug with a sharp spade; Ideally, this has twice the volume of the root ball. The hole in the ground is lined with shards of pottery, gravel or chippings; In this way, the rhubarb benefits from natural drainage.
Note:
It is a good idea to dig the planting hole before digging up the plant, as the rhubarb cannot remain exposed to air for long. Plenty of compost, which should also be worked into the soil, provides the plant with important nutrients. Note: When digging the hole in the ground, care must be taken to ensure that the substrate remains loose!
In many cases, this needs to be helped by loosening the soil additionally or adding porous material. If several rhubarb plants are moved, it is important to maintain sufficient distance between the individual specimens; Ideally this is one meter. If the plants are to remain in this location for several years, it has proven to be a good idea to plan for even more space.
When inserting the plant, please note the following:
- The buds must be a few centimeters below the surface
- The earth is carefully trampled down.
- The plant is then watered extensively.
- A thick layer of mulch prevents it from drying out.
Dividing the plant when moving it
If you want to multiply your rhubarb stock, it is best to use the transplanting process for this purpose. At the same time, the rhubarb is rejuvenated and thinned out.
The following must be noted:
- the perennial divided into several pieces
- Parts may not weigh more than one kilogram
- at least one bud every step of the way
- Buds should not have sprouted yet
In addition, make sure that the edges of the plant are completely dry; otherwise there is a risk of rot. The best conditions are found when you time the optimal time to share; This occurs when the first leaves of the perennial turn brown. If the rhubarb is divided too early, there is a risk that there will not be enough time for the plant to grow optimally; The rhubarb needs a lot of strength for this process.
The adjustment period
Although rhubarb is considered robust overall, transplanting does place a certain amount of stress on the plant. For this reason, it is particularly important to give the plant a period of acclimatization in which the roots can grow and optimal acclimatization can take place. During this acclimatization period, the harvest should also be reduced to protect the plant; experienced gardeners do not pick the poles at all in the first year, but only begin harvesting in the second year. It is also advisable to limit the harvest time to a few weeks; The time between April and May is particularly suitable for this.
Anyone who holds back on the harvest in the first year will be rewarded with a particularly generous yield the following year. So if you take the natural conditions of the rhubarb plant into account, plan a change of location after a few years and then harvest carefully, you will be able to exploit the plant's potential until the end of its life - and always harvest delicious sticks that enrich every dessert.
