I'm relatively new to growing rhubarb and live in SE PA. I planted 1 plant from a 1 gallon pot into a larger whiskey barrel style container. I planted it in Miracle Grow moisture control soil. It was doing great for a while putting up quite a few new stalks after. Earlier this week, we had a heat wave. I made sure to give the container some water at night (watering can) after the sun was off it, but since the heat wave, I had 1 leaf yellow and then die now followed by another leaf that has gone completely yellow... The stalks are all relatively thin, but I know this is a new plant and didn't want to go crazy freaking out about it, but I also don't want it to die. The plant gets full morning sun and then part shade/part sun in the afternoon when it is the hottest out. Being that it's in a container rather than in the ground (yard constraints), I thought it would be better than being in full sun. I checked the pot last night and it isn't light, but it isn't heavy like the soil is having difficulty draining (what a normal barrel should feel like). Could someone help me figure out what I need to do to get my plant healthier again? Do I need to give it more food? More/less water? Thanks in advance and please help

We have a rhubarb patch that is 70 or ,80 years old and still growing good except as the weather gets warmer there are worms that go up in the stalls and come out the side and leave a jelly like substance. No one else I know has this problem. Do you know anything about this?

I live in Oklahoma and have finally got several good rhubarb plants that are producing well. However, the stalks are tough and coarse. I do amend the soil, but not quite as recommended. Any suggestions or hope?

Help please. I have replanted rhubarb in 4 places, the last I dug out my clay soil and replaced with topsoil and some compost from a woodpile area from years past. My rhubarb will be absolutely beautiful THEN holes (bugs eating the leaves) and rust colored leaves and stems. Then plant failure. Help please. I dearly love rhubarb and want to keep a large patch. My plants have come from my Mom's patch which have flourished for years untouched, to reputable garden centers.

My son sent me a picture of his rhubarb and it has a big section of flowers coming through the middle. In all my years (67), I've never seen a flowering rhubarb. Is it normal? Should he do anything about it? The leaves are about 16 inches across. It really has me stumped.

we live in southeast Va and my husband being from Wisconsin wants to grow Rhubarb. Our temps average well over 75 in summer so my question is how can he grow rhubarb here. we have tried the last 2 years with no success but he doesn't want to give up. HELP

We had a 1 1/2 inch snow yesterday on plants that are 1-2 feet tall. Do I need to cut all the stalks down or only the stalks that show possible frost damage on the leaves ? I am not sure what to do. Thank you.

I bought 4 rhubarb plants, potted them individually, 3 are growing, 1 died. They are getting very tall and falling over, then the leaves begin to wilt, do they need to be cut back? Its still to cold to put them in garden, 4 x 4 raised beds or on sloping hill side garden. Not quite sure what to do.

I live in texas and during the summer it gets really hot if I plant this in planters would it be ok and because we really don't freeze here in the ground would a planter have a batter chance of freezing. I could bring them in doors during the summer heat and outside during the winter months. What do you think? I have also heard you should not eat it after the 4th of July is this true?

We have had a crazy warm winter and it hass been as much as 60 degrees here with not much snow. So here it is the 9th of March and my rhubarb is sprouting up and it is going to get back down to 12 degrees and snow. Can I cover with some wood shavings? Do I need to cover?

I have had my Rhubarb in for a couple of years. I get plenty of stalks but they never turn red. Am i doing something wrong or are they OK to eat. someone told me there a \rhubarb that is green. Please Help.
Kindest Regards, Tom

Article says "After the first spring ..."

We only have one Spring here in the Pacific NW.

I context, it appears you mean something like "At the first sign of Spring ..." Is that accurate?

Hi, I was given some rhubarb crowns by my aunty a few months ago and it's the first time I've ever tried growing it. Do I need to cut it back for the winter?

I have no issue growing great rhubarb, without any care at all but weeding. This AM I woke to find that some animal had eaten nearly every leaf off of my large plant. When I read up on this, all literature says that this is not possible, as the leaves are poisonous. What animal could do this and how can I prevent it happening again?

Please refer entry March 3, 2016.
Well now. Winter is over, and what a mild one we had.
I cut down a barrel sufficient to hold 50 liter of Thrive potting mix, - long term slow-release fertiliser, the same as I did last year, 2015/16. So the rhubarb is receiving the double-dose of food until the Thrive nutrient is used.
I will not use the term forced-feeding. If one uses compost or whatever, the nutrients must be leached out in a soluble form for the plant to use it. One could say that plants could be on a starvation diet if only left to Mother Nature to provide the moisture to release the nutrient. The plant will only take-up what it needs. Plants can take-up moisture only, without food, so that it can transpire in hot weather. All plants take-up the nutrients in a soluble form, so that supplying hydroponic nutrient means that it doesn’t have to wait for the next downpour of rain or until you get around to turning the hose on.
Last year I picked over 180 stalks, over 8kg, (advice is not to pick in the first year) and before the winter set-in, there were 9 buds that I could see for the coming season, 2016/17. The plant built itself up with the instant food available, and this growing season, it is developing well.
They say to only pick sparingly in the second year. My first pick of this season was on Saturday, October 8th, 2016. 6 stalks, 375grams, cut ready to cook. I have just counted and there are more than 20 stalks growing strongly and more coming on. Am I going to pick sparingly with 5 months of growing yet to come? Not likely! Last year’s pick of 8kg only gives one feed per week, so I am looking for a greater return this year.
Soluble hydroponic feed would also be beneficial for soil-grown rhubarb. As the moisture drains through the soil past the plant roots, it would be a tasty snack, a treat, a pick-me-up for any plant. So far, I am thrilled with the results of container rhubarb growing and hydroponic nutrient solution.

Actually i have a question .my rhubarb is growing .i 've never had this happen .is it safe to eat.

I live in eastern PA & purchased a rhubarb plant from a nursery about a month and a half ago. It had 3 small stalks about 12 - 15 inches tall. I planted it a very large pot & it has grown to 17 stalks, the oldest of which are about 1-1/4 inch thick with 12 inch leaves. We had a lot of rain a few days ago. Yesterday this plant looked great. Today all but 4 of the stalks are laying over, they have lost their rigidity, and the leaves have curled. Is this a sign of too much water or not enough? Or what else might be happening to it, please?

Dear Farmer,

We live in Meridian (Boise) Idaho and our rhubarb plant(s) have grown 3-4 feet tall with humongous leaves but no red stalks each year for the last 3 years. Do the stalks have to be red before harvesting and eating them or what? I know the leaves are poisonous in large quantities and I'm not big on rhubarb pie anyway. Just wondering why our rhubarbs are so huge. They are now 3 years old. We chop them down to the base each winter and each spring they grow really fast -- and BIG. Any comments are welcome.

Question: When does one harvest spaghetti squash? i.e. how do you know when it is ready?

Thanks, Mr. and Ms. Almanac.

Harry Lear
Boise, Idaho

Apparently I have red leave rhubarb disease organisms in my yard. I planted rhubarb roots and the leaves almost immediately turned red and died. When I dug up the roots they were rotted. My next door neighbour has good rhubarb with no problems.

I was wondering if it's a better idea to have multiple plants of one variety or to have one of Valentine, one of Crimson Cherry and one of the Canada Red ?

Thanks for this very informative page. I've had a rhubarb patch in my garden for 30 years and never realized there were so many do's and don'ts! However, now that I've read some of these hints I want to confirm that the reason I have spindly rhubarb is that I've over harvested it all these years. I've always cleaned up my rhubarb patch in late fall, harvesting the last of the stalks and removing any dying stalk and leaves to prevent diseases or encourage insect hiding places. I do move and thin them every 5 years. And I do fertilize with well rotted horse manure. Can you please set me straight on how to get my plants to grow thick stalked rhubarb?

My rhubarb was planted last year. Went to go look at it this year and it's in a raised bed and rhubarb is rubbery? Why would it be doing that?

I have 3 great rhubarb plants in full sun. But, My plants only grow about 9 inches high. They are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Is this normal ? I only see stalks that are thin and about 12 to 15 inches long in the markets Are my plants lacking something in the soil or what? hope you can help me!! Terry

I intended to write this about the end of February.
I am Southern Hemisphere, Temperate Zone, New Zealand, Christchurch, about 15 miles from the coast of the South Pacific Ocean, and about 100 miles from the Tasman Sea. Spring, they reckon, starts on September 1st, so add six months for Northern Hemisphere.

I love rhubarb, but I have never grown it. So, on September 1st, I bought and planted a rhubarb – Victoria.
I read up all the information I could and decided to plant one in a pot.
I have at some time been a commercial tomato grower – hydroponics, Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). The fertilisers in the nutrient are soluble and therefore available to the plants immediately as they require.

The NFT Solution I use is that which was formulated by Dr. Allen Cooper (the father of NFT) for tomatoes, in his publication, The ABC of NFT. There will not be a great disparity for most garden plants. There still are the macro and micro nutrients (or trace elements). From leaf analysis, hydroponic nutrients can be made to suit specific plant families. The food value in the solution was 22CF – Conductivity Factor, with the pH at 6.3 (these days it would read 22000mS – micro Siemens).
For the planting medium I used, a well-known proprietary brand Thrive Premium potting Mix, slow release fertilizer mix. I was assured that it would last six to nine months, depending on the plant – they tell me that rhubarb plants are gross feeders.

I planted into a 12inch pottery container, but didn't sit back and watch it grow. I covered the mix with polystyrene sheet to prevent the exposed growing medium drying out and caking which would prevent the water permeating evenly throughout to the plant roots. When the foliage shadow covered the medium, the polystyrene was removed.

To start, I watered the rhubarb with one litre of solution daily. This took the pH down to 6.0pH. Before the next daily application of nutrient solution, the probe into the potting medium told me it was 7.0pH. This was the procedure I used daily until the drainage run-off virtually ceased. I then increased it to two litres daily. The run-off still has food value so it can be re-cycled back. It was growing well until the accident sometime in late November. The earthenware pot fell over and broke. I procured a plastic container, approx. 14in x 12in x 12in. The root system was beautiful to observe as it was evenly disposed around the outside of the root ball. The root ball held together as I re-potted it with more of the same potting mix. I increased the feed regime to three litres daily. Over mid-Summer it has been four litres daily, and on a few of the hotter days, 28 deg C – 34 deg C it has had an extra two litres of water. Now that autumn has arrived, the run-off has increased so the feed regime is back to two litres daily, still depending on run-off.

Now for the summary.
They say not to pick in the first year to let the plant establish itself for the second year.
I would say that with the slow-release fertilizer – pelletised – as well as the tomato mix, I was actually force-feeding the plant. The plant accepted the extra feed and utilised it.

I think that the rhubarb would have become root-bound if it had remained in the earthenware pot.
The plant was always going to be wet. If there was a channel for the water to drain, there was always a channel for air to get to the roots.

Flower heads. I did not observe any. If the plant is under stress, it would send up flower heads to preserve itself for the next generation, rather than supply a meal for the gardener.

I was pleased to observe that on extremely hot days, and in Christchurch the weather fluctuates by the day, the leaf was quite cool, even though the temperature was quite stiflingly hot, in a human way of speaking. I think that the plant would also have appreciated some shade on the hottest of days.
As I write this, there are about 15 stalks I can pull for another feed.

The figures. Not statistics.
September 1st. One plant with three stalks and one only just emerging.
December 13th. Picked the first pick – 5 stalks. From that date until February 23rd, the total of 137 stalks have been pulled, weighing 7kg cut to be cooked.
My observation is that with the force-feeding, the rhubarb plant concentrated on producing new growth (hence no flower heads) rather than length or thickness of stalk. The rhubarb tolerated the high 46CF which was the combination slow release fertilizer and tomato mix. After five and a half months, the run-off had reduced to 24CF.

With hydroponics, there is an A mix and a B mix as the stock solutions. The iron is a special chelated form which is soluble for the plant’s immediate use. The iron and the copper must not be mixed together until it is diluted with water. As a guesstimate, I think that I have probably used about 450 litres of water with about 4 litres of A and B stock solution.

I hope that this information and experience of mine as a first time rhubarb grower will be a help to someone who cannot wait for the next feed.

What do I do for next Spring Season?
The root system has probably filled the container.
There isn’t any fertilizer remaining in the potting mix.
Do I start again with another variety? – Red
Do I say, “That’s all. I’ve proved my point?”
Do I obtain the proper hydroponic nutrient for rhubarb?
Do I automate the delivery system?
It was an enjoyable exercise. I must have my rhubarb fix though!

I bought a bag of potting mix which has slow-release fertilizer, but it did not have the NPK listed.
I was informed that the Nitrogen was 1.0, the Phosphorous was 0.2 and the potassium was 0.5.
What do these figures mean and how does it translate to ppm?

I remember my Mom having Rhubarb,but I didn't remember waiting 3 years to actually harvest and eat it! Thank you for the crucial information on growing and harvesting . A friend gave me tow very large plants and ,I will care for them like gold!

It is now mid August in northwestern Illinois.
My neighbors have two HUGE well established and very healthy rhubarb plants but hate rhubarb. They want to get rid of them. What are the likelihood that if I dig out a plant and transplant it that it will survive and grow again next year? Is it even worth trying to save these plants?

I have read through all these questions and have not found an answer to mine. I bought 3 small (in 4" pots) rhubarb plants in early June from a garden center. They are growing exceptionally well! so well in fact that some stalks are breaking off at the base due to the heavy drooping weight! I know I should not harvest any stalks this first year, but can I cut off a few of the HUGE leaves to make the stalk less heavy? biggest leaves are over 24" long (I just measured). I live in Northern Vermont.

This is my first year for rhubarb, purchased my plants at a nursery, they were started from seeds. They are about 12 to 15 inches tall now. I see that the first year you should not use the plant, but should I trim it? Not sure what to do next.

I live in Calgary, Alberta where we have a short growing season due to altitude. All my rhubarb plants are volunteers which have chosen to grow in semi shade and in the gravel of the back alley. These are very hardy plants which have never been fertilized. They crowd out the weeds (and other plants) on their own. We cut off most of the flower stalks. We eat the leaf stalks when they are young and red, with or without dipping them in sugar. A simple rhubarb strawberry sauce with sugar to taste is great on ice cream.

I am moving in July and wanted to bring my rhubarb plants with me. Would you think that would be feasible. I am only moving to the next town. I live in ma.

I have had 3 rhubarb plants for 3 years ad this year only one of them came back. I also planted 4 plants last year and NONE of them came this year. I live in Eastern Tennessee and we had a very hard freeze here last year for 3 weeks. Could this have killed them? I am from WI and never ever heard of this. I asked around because there isn't a lot of rhubarb available here if it was the soil and people assured me they never heard of this. My mm grew rhubarb as I was a child which multiplied like crazy and I have heard of it not come back after the first year but never after 3. Help me out! I love rhubarb and want to plant more.

I live in mid virginia and am on my third rhubarb plant. All the others died in the summer soon after they were planted in spring. They were in full sun and i think they got too hot. It stays in the high 80s to high 90s most of the summer. So before i plant this next one should i plant it in the shade or maybe just morning sun? Please help me i love rhubarb and this one is a good 10" high. Can i plant indoors maybe? Thank you, Donna

why do you need to remove the seed stalk ? what will happen if I don't? how do you remove it without hurting the rest of plant? I planted my rubarb last year how long until I can harvest from it?

We live in Wyoming where we have tried to start rhubarb growing 4 or 5 times. We finally have sprouts, from a friend's bulbs! However, it looks like it will be necessary for us to transplant the rhubarb from a greenhouse to a sunnier, better drained location. My problem is that we have voles, which tend to destroy the roots of plants by burrowing. Do the roots of rhubarb have pest-repellent properties like the leaves, or do you have any other suggestions for protecting the roots? We have mesh in the bottom of our greenhouse bed, but it seems like that could be a problem too, if the rhubarb roots go as deep as you say. Thanks!

I need to move an old rhubarb plant, it is in a confined space. I am hoping for some advice. How deep does the root system go? How can I do the least damage to the plant? If I divide it when I pull it will I still be able to get usable stalks this year?

I picked my rhubarb after it had gone to seed, as it was still growing. I picked a little at a time from July to September. I had it frozen, and just made a pie today (January 24). It had a rather weed-like taste to it, and left my mouth feeling strange. Is this because some of it had been there a long time, or because it had went to seed?

I HAVE TRIED GROWING RHUBARB BUT OUR SOIL HAS ALOT OF ALKALI . I LIVE IN SOUTH DAKOTA. I AM GOING TO MAKE RAISED BEDS BUT DON,T KNOW HOW DEEP TO MAKE THEM SO THAT THE ROOTS WON,T GROW DOWN INTO THE POOR SOIL OR HOW WIDE SO THE COLD WINTER WILL NOT KILL THE ROOTS. I WANT TO RAISE THESE FOR COMMERICAL RESELL OF THE STALKS, THANK YOU FOR ANY INFOR. KEN

Is it better to start growing a rhubarb plant in early spring from seed and then transplanting it outdoors later in the season, or just starting it in the ground.

This is the first season my rhubarb has been planted and it has grown several large healthy leaves and stems. I hear not to harvest the first year, but should I trim leaves off or do any other preparations for winter? I live in Colorado.

Hello there!
I live in Brazil and back in May I germinated a few rhubarb seeds and like a miracle, i have 8 very nice plants!
For 2, 3 months the leaves were a beautiful green color, but now, as them grow, they become dark purple! The stalks are getting thicker and thicker!
I wonder if I can harvest young plants!
I hope they get thru summer time, here the temperatures are high! very high!

Can someone help me out about the leaf color and early harvesting?

Thanks a lot! :D

I just recently purchased about eight stalks of rhubarb from the supermarket to make a pie. Most of the stalks are red but also have a lot of green. My question is: Is it o.k. to eat the green part and how does it affect the flavor? I have eaten a lot of rhubarb over the years and it is one of my favorites as far as pie goes. I have not seen quite this much green though.

I live in the Sacramento Valley.
I planted three Rhubarb roots?this spring and only one survived.

It has grown with 8 stems up to 24" in length..
I recognize that I should not harvest any stems for another year.

The stems grow quickly and have only 3-4 inches of red color at base of the stem.

Should all stems harvested have a considerable part of the lower end be red?

I live in Maine and it's the first week of July. Is it too late to plant bulbs that I purchased earlier in the year or should I wait to purchase new ones in the spring so I can plant for the upcoming season?

I just moved to a new house and discovered I have rhubarb in the backyard - lucky me! By the time I have found it, the leaves are huge and the stalks very long and fat! Is there such a thing as harvesting too late? Or is this just a well-established healthy plant?

I planted several rhubarb plants about three years ago and this spring noticed that on a couple of the plants not only are some of the leaves a mottled pale yellow and green but the shape of the leaves are elongated and not very ruffled?! What does that mean?

I LOOOOOOOOOVE rhubarb.I would love to grow it myself, but I live in Palm Springs,CA. Is there any hope for growing rhubarb in the desert? And where would I be able to find seedlings? Thank you for any advice you may have.

My rhubarb is producing beautiful thick red stalks AND pencil thin stalks. Should I pull the thin limp stalks to give more energy to the larger production?

I live in Indiana and have put my rhubarb in a large pot in the garden. I had tried it in the ground last year and it didn't grow, so I decided a pot with great soil was the answer but now I'm worrying about this winter, will the rhubarb freeze? Should I try the ground again?

My rhubarb has been producing for over 20 years. But last year and this year, its leaves are very small and its stalks are very thin. Should I be replacing it with a new plant or does it need thinning in the Fall?

Bought a 2 year old plant from catalogue CO. Planted it late last winter now fully grown. When can I harvest?

Two of my rhubarb leaves have just turned completely red and then wilted completely. I live in Kentucky. The rhubarb crown was planted last fall. Any ideas what is plaguing this plant? Thank you!! (It is late May right now).

I live outside Tucson Arizona, In my ignorance, I planted 3 roots, from
Walmart, last spring in a large pot. This is the warmest winter I can remember and I have a pot full of rhubarb, sending up large seed stalks, that I intend to remove today. My plants were beautiful last summer although we had >>100 days above 90 degrees. Is this a fluke? What's the deal? Beginners luck?
I'm thinking I'll dig them up and freeze the roots this fall. If you have any advise or suggestions I would appreciate any and all...Penny Potts Tucson Arizona.

I live in Fort Worth Texas and was thinking of planting rhubarb in large pots that I could bring into the barn in the heat of the day. Or would it be better to use shade cloth during the summer months?
Debi, Fort Worth Tx

I started my rhubarb from seeds. Will they grow normally? How long will it be before I can harvest? Any special care that I might need to give them. They are kind of small still. Any help or information will be appreciated.

Hello; What should I do? I planted some roots a friend gave me last October (2012) and I let them grow. Got big leaves and medium stalks. should I pick them and discard and add some cow manure for the winter? And hope for better next spring? I have 6 plants.How to I care for them this year for a usable crop in the spring of 2014? Thank you. Greg A.

We planted our rhubarb in 1973 in tough manitoba soil. It has been producing ever since, even surviving -30 to -40 in the winter! I think it thrives on neglect.

Hi.
I cannot find a clear answer anywhere. I have 3 large plants that produced big,tasty stalks this year.
Here is my question. What EXACTLY do I do to prepare it for winter (I am in Canada).
Do I twist off ALL the dead stocks, or leave the ones, I haven't harvested? How many do I leave?
It's amazing, but I have searched the whole youtube world, and google, and found great sites like this, but no-one mentions what exactly to do for winter.
Thanks!

I live in Minnesota. It's August 26th and I just harvested more rhubarb.--Is it still safe to eat rhubarb? I've heard many different opinions.

In the late summer what do I do with the rhubarb? Do I cut it back? We live in sw Pa.

Do deer like rhubarb? I was considering planting near a brook where the deer often go.

I read that I'm supposed to wait to harvest the rhubarb until the 2nd season, is that for after I split and transplant them too? So every 3 or 4 years do I have to split and then wait a season to harvest? Thank you for all the wonderful tips and help!
Also, what do I do with them during winter (I'm in Washington State). Do I need to cover them or anything?
Thanks

A friend gave me some cut Rhubarb this week (August) Will it make a good pie or is it too tough this time of year?