Planted 3 rhubarb crowns about 6 weeks ago. They all started growing healthy looking. Then a couple weeks ago one turned pink and died. Last week a second one started looking pink. Its not dead yet. And I have one left that looks healthy, but I am afraid it will die too in another week or so, because I have no idea what is wrong.
These 3 plants are about 4 feet from one another, in full sun, zone 6b, not too much or too little water.
- applestar
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Where are they planted? Did you put the wood chip mulch around it?
To me this looks like the rhubarb is turning all pink because all of its chlorophyll has been destroyed... which immediately makes me think herbicide. Is it possible someone has been treating them with herbicide not knowing you have intentionally planted them? Is it possible those wood chips have been treated with herbicide?
To me this looks like the rhubarb is turning all pink because all of its chlorophyll has been destroyed... which immediately makes me think herbicide. Is it possible someone has been treating them with herbicide not knowing you have intentionally planted them? Is it possible those wood chips have been treated with herbicide?
- applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I was looking for some reference that would back up this theory, and found this. Command is a familiar-sounding product.... ah ha! It’s a pre-emergent herbicide.
https://passel.unl.edu/pages/information ... =4&maxto=8
Herbicides That Act Through Photosynthesis
Destruction of chlorophyll causes a bleaching of the leaf.
Herbicides that inhibit the biosynthesis of carotenoids may do so early in the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway. An example is clomazone (Command)