Many rhubarb plants just never get going; try planting yours in a much richer soil mix this fall and see what happens next year. Keep any above-ground crowns covered with mulch if a hard freeze is likely. Feel the stalks of the yellow/brown leaves about halfway up the stalks. If the stalk feels spongy or hollow, it may just be a weak plant or stem. If the stalks feel rubbery or solid, it may be disease. Just keep the bad leaves and their stalks picked off. The large, irregular holes in the leafs may be the result of cutworms. Late at night the cutworms can be removed while they are feeding.

Thank you Valentina. I had researched this before posting but none of the descriptions sounded like what I am seeing and the foliage was so healthy looking. The links you provided show pictures that are an exact match. Am on my way outside to cut and dispose of right now. Laurie

Looks like the dreaded euonymus scale insect. VERY common to this plant. Yours appears to be a very bad infestation, judging from the one picture you've attached. Many people would suggest that these shrubs be 1)pruned all the way to the ground so that you can start all over again with insect-free growth. Of course, you'll have to fight this scale for the rest of your days. 2) Remove the euonymus and replace with something else. Euonymus is simply highly susceptible to this particular insect. Remember, this is an insect and not a disease. No spraying with a fungicide; no treatment of soil, etc. Do some 'googling' about Euonymus scale and you'll find many websites detailing your options. Hopefully, you'll visit your extension office with a sample. Local nurseries may or may not be staffed with knowledgeable folks.

Hi mrsjustice, I had a similar idea about putting some kind of shade over my tomato plants. It gets so hot here in Arkansas... 90 ~ 100 degrees almost every day for weeks. I'm thinking the Cherokee Purple may be less suited to heat then most other varieties of tomatoes, because they are the sickliest plants I have. I wonder if people up north in a cooler climate have better luck with these plants. But yes, your idea about a drop cloth is a good one. It's at least worth an experiment.