I walked past my rhubarb today and immediately noticed something wasn’t right.
The leaves have turned a bright purple-red color. Not the whole plant—just parts of the leaves, mostly around the tips and edges on a few leaves. The rest of the plant seems reasonably healthy, which makes the whole thing even more puzzling.
Now I’m wondering: is this some kind of stress response? Have we had too much rain? Not enough rain? Is it reacting to temperature changes? Or is this the beginning of some bacterial or fungal problem?
The frustrating thing about gardening is that plants can’t tell you what’s wrong. They just change color, droop, develop spots, or stop growing, and you’re left playing detective.
Have any of you seen rhubarb leaves turn bright purple-red like this? Was it a nutrient deficiency, weather stress, or something more serious?
I’d love to hear your thoughts before I start treating it for something it doesn’t actually have.
Sometimes gardening feels less like growing plants and more like solving mysteries.
Ilze
Discover more from a day in the life of a latvian mom
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
My comment is useless because I have no idea. But I want to wish you good luck with your rhubarb anyway.
Thank you, Peter. Sometimes moral support is just as useful as gardening advice! 😊 At least I know I’m not the only one scratching my head over this mystery.
Have you ever had a plant in your garden do something completely unexpected?
There are three possible options: stress due to many big changes in the weather, a fungal infection, or lack of phosphorus.
You can’t do much about the first one. If there is a fungal infection it is critical to limit it by taking all the bad leaves away (don’t throw them on the compost). If you need more phosphorus add cow manure. Best of luck!
Thank you, Maria. That’s very helpful. We’ve certainly had some wild weather swings lately – very dry, so stress is definitely a possibility. I’ll keep an eye on the affected leaves and see whether the discoloration spreads or if any other symptoms appear.
Have you ever had rhubarb suffer from a phosphorus deficiency, or is that something you’ve seen more often in other plants?
Not my thing, maybe ChatGP?
Haha, that’s probably where many of us start these days! 😊 Though sometimes asking fellow gardeners can be even better because they’ve seen things happen in real gardens, not just in gardening books.
Do you grow anything edible yourself, or are you more interested in the outdoor side of things?
Sis nak tiesi no Interent citadi es arit nezinatu
Rhubarb leaves may turn bright red due to a bacterial infection known as redleaf disease or because the plant is prematurely entering a dormant state similar to autumn foliage. While some discoloration is a natural response to environmental changes, bright red leaves that wilt and shrivel often indicate a severe infection that requires immediate plant removal.
Thank you for looking it up and sharing that information. That’s what worries me a little—the possibility that it could be something more serious than weather stress. At the moment the leaves aren’t wilting or shrivelling, so I’m hoping it’s not a bacterial infection, but I’ll definitely keep a close eye on it.
Have you ever had rhubarb growing in your garden, or was this the first time you came across this issue?
Oh dear. I hope you are able to figure it out, Ilze 🙁
Thank you. Gardening certainly keeps us humble! Just when you think everything is growing nicely, one plant decides to create a new mystery. 😊
Have you had any gardening puzzles this year that took a while to solve?
Wow, I’ve never seen any plant look like that, Ilze, but I’m not a plant expert. I hope you figure this out. You have some good suggestions to begin with. 👍🏻☹️
Thank you, John. The suggestions have given me a few things to investigate, which is more than I had this morning. Hopefully it’s something simple and temporary rather than a serious problem.
How is the weather in LV?