Rhubarb Growing Problems

by Linda Croudace
(Northumberland)

I am growing rhubarb and have had several pickings but today I found a lot of the stems covered in small clear, gelatinous blobs which has an unsightly effect under the skin.
Not sure if it is the snails/slugs for which my garden seems to be an ideal holiday destination OR just the really bad rain and humidity we have been having OR something else I haven't considered. Can anyone shed any light?

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Rhubarb Growing Problems

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Jun 14, 2010

Clear jelly blobs on rhubarb stems
by: Megan

Something is eating your rhubarb. That something could be caterpillars or beetles. Caterpillars usually eat the leaves so it's probably the Curculio beetle, sometimes called Snout beetle or Rhubarb weevil.

Rhubarb Curculios are usually red and grey/black with some yellow on their backs which rubs off. They are at least 1 cm long with curved snout-like mandibles which they eat with. When they attack rhubarb, not only do they eat it but they also make holes in rhubarb stems to lay their eggs in around springtime. The eggs drop to the surrounding ground and hatch in mid-late summer.

The clear jelly lumps on the rhubarb stalk are produced from the damaged holes. These holes are prone to decay, so controlling the beetles is important.

Try and keep dock plants away from your rhubarb as they can act as a host plant for curculios to breed on as well as a food source. To interrupt their breeding cycle you can clear away all debris surrounding the rhubarb plant, or cover the ground and any loose mulch with a flat layer such as newspaper, cardboard, matting etc.

The beetles themselves are large enough to pick or shake off and crush, or drown in soapy water.

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