Black Powder? on Rhubarb Leaves

 

Hi all

I have noticed what looks like black powder on the underside of my rhubarb
leaves.
It is probably some very small bug-type-thingy.  Does anyone know what?

Also on the subject of rhubarb.........

For a few weeks, the stems produced were a good size, maybe 1-1/2" across.
Lately they are far more puny - between 3/4 and 1" across.
Is this usual as the growing season progresses and the large sticks get
pulled?
(I have never drastically reduced the numbe of stems in one hit, if that
makes a difference).

Phil

 


TheScullster;894991 Wrote:

Depending exactly where you live, you may well have experienced some
extended
warm and dry weather recently. Since rhubarb likes it cool and
damp, this is
likely to have affected output. Also it will have used up
nutrients in the soil.
 In general the oxalate content of the stalks
goes up later in the season too,
and the plant needs some energy for
next year, so usually people stop pulling in
high summer to give the
plant chance to recover, and not eat too much oxalate.

Black powdery stuff sounds like mould.  Rhubarb stalks that are not
pulled will
go rotten after a few weeks. Be more worried if this is
occuring on fresh
stalks.




--
echinosum

 


The weather in Fife is totally neurotic or at least very determined to
thumb
its nose at BBC weather/weather.co.uk.  Heavy rain to lovely sun
to heavy rain
and back again for a while now.  I only have a pot garden,
so I'm sure Murphy's
Law will dictate that the rain will all dry up by
the time I go south for a
holiday and when I get down there all that hot
weather y'all have been having
will disappear as well. ;)




--
Mitulove