Rhubarb Care

Although my 2 year old Timperley Early rhubarb now has 3 crowns I am losing lower stems which become soft, floppy with yellowing leaves.  Upper, older leaves are green & healthy but there are only about 4 of these so I don't want to pull them in case the plant loses nourishment to grow.  I remove slugs & snails frequently & there is a frog about so I don't want to put down pellets.  It's more the over-all health or lack of it that worries me.  The other week I bought some road-side/farm 'mature compost' & put on a few inches having watered underneath first.  I think I also had applied some bonemeal etc. a few months ago & there's been plenty of rain.  I'm now worried that the plant may be worse for the compost & have moved some of it away from the crowns.  Any ideas as to what I should be doing?

It might be that there's been too much rain - rhubarb is usually pretty tough (not in texture) If I were you I'd spread some good manure around (not on the crowns, just on the soil around them) and then leave well alone for the summer - just making sure that you hand pull any weeds that pop up.

We've had such a wet winter and while rhubarb doesn't mind the cold it's not keen on wet cold, so it may be that your rhubarb needs to enjoy this sunshine - I think I'd not crop it any more for the moment and let it put on some growth - I'm sure it'll be fine.

Many thanks - I'll try that.