Leaf after leaf of the rhubarb keeps ending up like this - brown.
The plants themselves seem to be healthy.
Guesses are welcome!
HeatherY
rhubarb leaf damage
Isn't this a natural occurance as the leaves get older and are replaced by younger ones? I guess I'd want to know how quickly this is happening.
Also, did you look around for pests? Maybe something like aphids sucking the juices?
Hey, Apex,
I am just getting around to catching up on DG stuff.
I have just loosened the rhubarb bed for the first time this year.
I am going to watch the leaves for aphids or signs of disease.
The new leaves look just perfect, but they are not very old yet.
Heather
My experience is that as soon as new leaves shade the old ones, they yellow and die.
spring 2014 update-
I am convinced that I do have aphids- I have ants, I see tiny things that might be aphids, I have damaged leaves on the plums on that side of the garden.
I am using "Safer" insecticial soap and I will also get some Neem, I also watching the plants for signs of fungus.
harvesting the rhubarb stalks more often seems to help, though I could be wrong about that.
cheers
Heather
If harvesting the leaves "helps", then it does suggest that it's a normal abandonment by the plant of old, shaded leaves.
Yes, or perhaps it is opening up spaces for light and air to slow easy spread of bugs and or disease, as a knock on effect. whichever, the question is now whether or not I pulled too much.
Here are pictures of the recent problems from this year-also, I have noticed that there seem to be scale insects on the leaves of the nearby plum trees.
it is still happening, even though I am using insectical soap and pepper wax on the leaves and in general they are healthier and better.
Heather
Quote from HeatherY :
Yes, or perhaps it is opening up spaces for light and air to slow easy spread of bugs and or disease, as a knock on effect. whichever, the question is now whether or not I pulled too much.
If you manage to kill an established rhubarb simply by removing a few leaves, you will really have accomplished something!
Every healthy garden has some undesirable bugs in it if you look hard enough. I can't think of any reason to worry about rhubarb.
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