Growing Rhubarb

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06 May 17 Kevin Spencer (Australia - temperate climate)
Rhubarb sold inshops has long stems. Mine has shorter, thicker stems and large leaves. Do growers place boards either side of plants to make the stems grow longer?
07 May 17 Lily Martin (Australia - temperate climate)
I believe they grow rhubarb in very little light which makes the stems long.
07 May 17 Giovanni (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Rhubarb can be very variable. I have seen both short and long stemmed rhubarb in the shops. I have also seen some with mostly green stems and some that are deep red for their full length. As most rhubarb is grown from seed, and there are also a number of different varieties, this variation is inevitable. at a house where we used to live the soil was very rich and we had thick, deep red stems that were about 600 mm (24") long. We shifted to another town with a slightly different climate and soil that still needs improving more and the stems are still a good colour but not as long.
08 May 17 Kevin Spencer (Australia - temperate climate)
Thank you for the comments. I live in an area with heavily leached soils and a deficiency at least in iron. I will try using volcanic rock dust and trace elements and see if that makes any difference.
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