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Rhubarb-Propagation Guide
To ensure proper rhubarb-propagation, the crowns must be carefully dug up and cut into pieces. The best time to do this is in the Spring, but the Fall is fine too if you prefer. The buds are more visible to the eye in the Spring. It is important to point out that the crown should be at least a few years old. It will have a mature root system, plus the fact that it will be much easier to divide. The crown should have a number of buds on it. Buds can easily break off, so be careful handling it. Check the crown and root system for disease or parts that look decayed. Throw the whole thing away if it looks too damaged. Otherwise, cut off the bad pieces with a sharp tool like a small axe or knife. Now that you have divided your rhubarb crown properly and into as many pieces with buds and roots as you like, replant as soon as possible. Do not let these pieces dry out. If you cannot get it all replanted quickly, store the crowns in a cool place, or at least keep them moist until you can. In the meantime, you should be getting your soil ready to accept the new divisions. By following these steps, you will ensure proper propagation. The procedure is the same as if you are planting orginal plants for the first time. The crown and root should be a few inches below the soil. In the Fall, mulch with manure around the plants, not on top of them. At least three inches of strawy manure is sufficient. Organic mulch is beneficial to the soil temperature and helps to retain moisture too. It also controls weed growth and can certainly added in the Spring as well. Rhubarb-propagation is really not as involved a process as it may seem. Just be careful to handle the crown and root systems gently and divide between the buds. Next year, you should see many new divisions coming up quite nicely.
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