sure, throw down some slug pellets and you just might get lucky.

The slugs only eat the leaves of rhubarb so there is no point in using slug pellets. If you only planted it six weeks ago I wouldn't recommend eating any of the stems this year. Let it establish itself and see how it does next year, even then you shouldn't take too many stems to start with.

Thanks guys, i thought I was being over- optimistic.

Honestly Hank as you on have one crown I wouldn't pull more than one stick next year if you can possibly resist..
But give it a nice nutritious mulch in spring, they are hungry souls.

Lots of well rotted manure or rich compose round the crown. It is normal to plant the crown in rich manure...

The guy who supplied me with the rgubarb said he'd had it in a black polythene sack for over a week and that it may be dead, so I just dug a hole and buried it in there. No compost or anything, but I'll correct that a bit later. Thanks again.

Sorry, me again, do I chop it all down to ground level in Winter or leave it to it's own devices ?

No Hank let the stems and leaves die back naturally and, once they've done so, get some well rotted manure on the crown as you can't get it underneath now.

Thanks again M, what on earth would I do without you guys.