Neil, your rhubarb (rheum)may want better light, usually full sun to part shade plants. They grow slowly from seed and can take a few years to become vigourous or large plants.

Rhubarb does great here where our summers are cool - suppressed top growth or summer dormancy wouldn't be unusual where summers are hot many days in a row.

Rich soil with quite a bit of organic matter, regular water.

vigourous? I must need vitamin D, can I blame spelling on lack of sun, a too chilly Spring?

Does full sun to partial shade mean, "sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon"?

I'll transplant it tomorrow. It's only 6" tall right now.

Thanks morz8. :)

If it's been going summer dormant in heat, you may find afternoon shade will suit it in your climate - if it's getting some direct sun in the morning.

I don't know if you mulch your plantings, but mulch or compost spread around it will help to cool the roots too, conserve moisture.

Ok, will try to use mulch this time at the new location. Thanks!

I had a rhubarb that ended up in too much shade as the plants around it grew. When I moved it, it responded well and is much larger now, sited in sun until 2 or so in the afternoon. Rhubarb is also a pretty heavy feeder, so if you dig a largish hole (for the size you want it to be not what it its now) and add some good compost to the soil you use to backfill and then top dress with compost each spring, it will be happier.

Thanks for the tip! I will do that sometime this week. :)

Is cow manure in bags ok? What about mushroom compost?

My rhubarb plants have minds of their own. One gets W. sun, the other gets dappled morning sun. Both have good growing years and then it seems years of a little rest where the plant is smaller, then they come back. I suppose it could be light, temp and rain variations. I don't worry about them I just let them do their thing. However, that is why I planted the second one, so I would be fairly guaranteed of a crop.

Ummm, I'm just seeing this, wonder if you've moved your plant yet.....

I'd go with the cow, Neil...compost (aged plant remains) or composted manure. Rhubarb is happy in slightly to moderately acid soil. The ph of most mushroom compost is more alkaline, most has lime added. If you are going to use the mushroom product, it's better spaded into the soil in small amounts or use it for things liking a more neutral to sweeter soil, not the acid lovers. (little tip on the mushroom compost, it can be high in salts too and may damage tender seedlings of any kind if used in too high quantity even spaded into a bed. it's not a bad product, you just need to be more careful with it than say, composted steer manure)

One of the very few things I pick up at Home Depot is composted steer manure blend (aged manure, aged wood chips). I just now finished putting a bag as a top dressing around 4 Pia hydrangeas...was dry enough to make it easy to work with, no odor, no rocks. Price has gone up, I think it was $1.12/ cu. foot bag, used to be 98 cents.
:-)