February was deceivingly warm--the weather that makes us Seattlites think winter is over and it's time to plant our tomatoes. I took the opportunity instead to move the rhubarb to a more ideal spot: more sun and better access to the hose. It's also next to my red flowering currant, Ribes sanguineum 'King Edward' creating a nice compliment with it's intensely hot pink flowers to the rhubarb's red stems.
A part of me dreads moving dormant plants. If it was a bulb, it wouldn't matter. But trying to move something with no stems, nothing on top, with just a mess of roots still makes me doubt the plant's survival even after doing it so many times. I'm always relieved see sprouting--a sign of life.
I was glad to see the rhubarb survived, but it was also flowering. Now what? Do I let it flower, and if I do, will it die or taste bad? I consulted a friend who has had good success with rhubarb, and transplanted hers last year. I was curious if her plant did the same thing, but hers never flowered. A quick internet search lead me to the Rhubarb Compendium. Not to despair. All I needed to do was cut the flower stalk down to the ground. I had a feeling that was it.
I was hoping for a crop this year, but I'll wait for next year. It's still slow growing. The advice my friend gave me was that rhubarb needs a year to adjust after being transplanted. In the meantime, I'll take advantage of the huge stalks at the Columbia City Farmers' Market!
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