 |
Age-Old Wisdom meets Modern Tools |
 |
Growing Rhubarb
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Rhubarb
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable, though it is generally used as a fruit in desserts and jams. Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest your own rhubarb.
Of the rhubarb plant, only the stalks are eaten. These have a rich, tart flavor. The leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous, so be sure that they are not ingested. Rhubarb is easy to grow, but needs cool weather to thrive.
Planting
- Before planting, eliminate all perennial weeds.
- Choose a site that is well-drained, fertile, and preferably in full sunlight. Rhubarb does best where the average temperature falls below 40ºF in the winter and below 75ºF in the summer.
- Plant one-year rhubarb crowns in early spring as soon as the ground is workable, when the roots are still dormant and before growth begins or plants are just beginning to leaf out.
- Rhubarb can also be planted in the fall after dormancy has set in.
- Dig large bushel basket-size holes. Space rhubarb plants about 4 feet apart and plant the roots 1 to 2 inches below the surface of the soil.
- Be sure to mix compost, rotted manure, or anything high in organic matter in the soil. Rhubarb plants are heavy feeders and need this organic matter. Don’t add a chemical fertilizer when planting rhubarb or during the first year of growth. Direct contact with nitrates can kill your rhubarb plants. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
Check out this video to learn more about how to plant rhubarb.
Care
- Mulch generously with a heavy layer of straw and cow manure to provide nutrients for the plant, retain moisture, and discourage weeds.
- Water your plant well. It needs sufficient moisture during the summer.
- Remove seed stalks as soon as they appear.
- After the first spring frost, apply a light sprinkling of a high-nitrogen fertilizer (25-3-3 or 10-6-4) when the ground is thawing or has just thawed, so that the fertilizer will go into the ground and not harm the roots. See your local frost dates.
- Insects and diseases won’t bother rhubarb plants as long as you keep the plants weed-free.
- Dig and split rhubarb roots every 3 to 4 years. Divide when plants are dormant in early spring (or fall).
Pests/Diseases
- Crown rot
Harvest/Storage
- Do not harvest any stalks during the first growing season so that your plants can become established.
- Harvest the stalks when they are 12 to 18 inches long. Usually after 3 years, the harvest period runs 8 to 10 weeks long. If the stalks become thin, stop harvesting; this means the plant’s food reserves are low.
- Grab the base of the stalk and pull it away from the plant with a gentle twist. If this doesn’t work, you can cut the stalk at the base. Be sure to discard of the leaves!
- Always leave at least 2 stalks per plant to ensure continued production. You may have a bountiful harvest for up to 20 years without having to replace your rhubarb plants.
- After harvest time, the stems may die back. Just remove all plant debris. Once your ground freezes, it’s best to cover rhubarb with 2 to 4 inches of mulch, preferably well-rotted compost; by adding nitrogen to the soil, you’re preparing the rhubarb plants for a good spring season.
Recommended Varieties
- Red rhubarb varieties, which are more tender. Some include ‘Valentine’, ‘Crimson Cherry’, and ‘Canada Red’.
Wit & Wisdom
Rhubarb has many other uses, from medicinal to cosmetic. See how to naturally lighten your hair with rhubarb.
Recipes
Cooking Notes
Check out our list of best rhubarb recipes to put your fresh rhubarb to good use! Plus, learn how to make a rhubarb tonic.
FREE BEGINNER'S GARDEN GUIDE!
BONUS: You’ll also receive our Almanac Companion newsletter!
Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
HELP ABOUT MY RHUBARB!...
HELLO OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC -
HELP!...I'VE GROWN RHUBARB IN MY GARDENS, OFF & ON FOR YEARS...THIS YEAR, WHEN I HARVESTED MY SMALL PLOT OF RHUBARB, CHOPPED IT & FROZE IN ZIPLOC BAGS, I, THEN, PULLED OUT A COUPLE OF BAGS TO MAKE RHUBARB CRISP.
WHEN I SERVED IT FOR DINNER FOR MYSELF, I FOUND THAT EVERY SPOONFUL I TRIED WAS LIKE A SALMON THAT HAD NOT BEEN 'DEBONED' - IT HAD PIN BONES ALL THROUGH EACH BITE OF RHUBARB CRISP!
I'VE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE...WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY RHUBARB???
IT WAS A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE & RUINED MY CRISP.
SO DISAPPOINTED...WILL I HAVE TO THROW THE OTHER BAGS OUT INTO THE COMPOST?
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT THIS HAPPENING WITH RHUBARB BEFORE?
HOPE YOU CAN RESPOND ON THIS, THANKYOU.
LAYNA
VANCOUVER, CANADA.
Boney rhubarb
Oh, what a tragedy! We have all experienced the anticipation and ensuing disappointment when a dish doesn’t work. We have never heard of rhubarb having texture like you describe and have no explanation for it. Perhaps a reader can clear it up for all of us? We can only observe that rhubarb stalks have stringy ribs, something like celery does, so maybe those dried up dried up during cooking, to become brittle??
As for composing the remainder…we’d be tempted to taste each package. You never know; it might have been a one off. And add ice cream. That has a way of making everything right. ;-)
green stalks all year
I have read that my rhubarb may just not be a red rhubarb plant as the stalks never turn red but when do I cut the green stalks and do I use them just as you would red ones? Extra sweeteners added while cooking?
red vs green rhubarb
Harvest as you would the red ones—when the stalks are long, fat, and firm. Use them as you would red. As for sweetness most greens and reds are about the same. Victoria variety, the greenest, can produce some very sweet stems; the others, use as you would either color.
HELP!!!!! My rhubarb won't thrive
I separated some rhubarb plants a few years ago and brought some of the separated plant to a farm we bought. I planted it behind the barn where I thought it would thrive. Its 4 years later and they still just get about 6 inches high and start to turn a spotted brown. There have not been cattle in the area I planted them for 15+ years. Maybe even 25+. So I don't think the soil is burning them.
The ones I separated them from I replanted in their original spot and they took off like they have every year. So I don't know why I'm having an issue with these plants. I've thought of moving them, but we just built a house and the year before the ground was cow pasture. When they were moving dirt it smelt like someone was spreading manure, so I'm afraid if I move them to another area the soil will be to strong and kill them. Or do I have it backwards and they need a really strong manure base? I've never had a problem planting rhubarb before and I've planted it at every place I've lived each time I moved.
I should be getting tons of rhubarb by now. I planted 6 plants, this year only 3 came up, but we had a harsh winter and I thought that's what killed off the other 3 plants.
So I'm really frustrated with how these ones won't grow for me.
Rhubarb won't thrive behind the barn.
I've seen old cars buried behind barns and just about anything one can imagine. Some farmers used to spray around the barn quite heavily for flies or would use that spot to dump all kinds of waste oil, gasoline used to wash engine parts, etc. You could possibly have picked a toxic location.
Does the rhubarb have the direct sunlight and water it needs?
You could try mulching it good in the late fall with compost to see what happens or move some dormant split roots to a new location.
Rhubarb
Try mulching with straw and keeping the roots warm during the cold months. They need lots of sun. I have read an old method of making your Rhubarb grow longer and it worked for me. Get a dark container (an old pot so it fits over the rhubarb plant) when you see first signs of plant growing cover plant completely. In the dark they seem to want to grow. Check from time to time. If you have a container with a lid on it cut the bottom out and put over with lid on top when it is nearly at the top take the lid off and it will continue to grow longer. I have comfrey growing next to mine and throw the spent leaves next to Rhubarb to help with fertilising. Hope this helps.
Growing rhubarb in a pot?
I don't have a good sunny spot to grown rhubarb in the ground, but am wondering if it will do okay in a pot that can be placed in a sunny location?
Growing rhubarb in a pot
Yes you can grow rhubarb in a pot. I found out accidentally. I bought two more plants but before I could plant them I broke my leg. I had a large pot, 24-30" across which was prepared for flowers. I ended up planting them in the pot thinking I might be able to plant them in the ground the next year. The pot is at the north east corner of my house so it gets sun but also shade later in the day. The next spring I was surprised to see the rhubarb in the pot was growing faster than the established ones in the ground. This year, after five years they are still growing faster. I was cutting my first rhubarb while other people's was only about 6". I have two plants in the planter. The first winter I covered them with a piece of fleece fabric. Second winter I put a little straw on them. The last couple years I haven't covered them at all. I live in Iowa so they do get covered with snow. The plants are bushy and healthy. I will never plant them in the ground again.
Container rhubarb in winter
I have four plants in containers and I'm wondering if I can leave them outside during the winter? I am in Illinois and live in an apartment building on the second floor. I have read they can be stored in an unheated room but that would mean moving these four heavy pots across town to my storage unit, something I would rather avoid if possible! Does anyone know anything about this? Any help is appreciated!
I decided to try my hand at
I decided to try my hand at growing rhubarb this year so I took a 55 gallon plastic drum that we used to use for rain water collection, cut it to about 30" tall, drilled drain holes in the bottom and filled with potting soil. A co-worker gifted me a piece of root from her established plant and I just put it in the new planter and hoped for the best. in less then 2 months I went from 1 small sickly looking leaf (that died off pretty quickly) to a barrel full of good, thick stalks. I will admit that I am not the best at watering it all the time, but we have had a rather wet year so that has helped... and my plant gets full sunlight for about 3/4 of the day. Thinking of getting another root and using the top half of the barrel that I cut off for a second planter in the future... I can't wait until next year where I can start harvesting!
Newly acquired rhubarb plants
Just acquired a flowering rhubarb plant from a garden at a home that my son and daughter-in-law purchased. What is the best way to transplant it into my yard.
rhubarb transplanting
Rhubarb is normally transplanted in early spring (before growth begins) or early fall (mid-September through early October). At this point, I guess get it in the ground as soon as you can. Rhubarb does best in fertile, well-drained soils and full sun. Translate into the garden with the buds 1 ½ to 2 inches below the soil surface. Follow above plant care directions. Good luck!
rhubarb
my rhubarb stalks are very thin. The entire is straggly looking..never gets big like see other peoples. Plants are in the open but seem to not even kill weeds or grass around them. They just aren't producing like they should. I even bought new plants because the old ones were not producing well. Do I need to replant somewhere else..get new plants and start completely over?
poor rhubarb stalks
You do not say how old your plant is…but you need to give it about two years (tow growing seasons) to become established. Old plants become spindly and thin when they are overcrowded; they would need to be divided and replanted (whereupon the two-year establishment cycle would start again). It’s also possible that your plant lacks vigor due to poor soil: Rhubarb is a heavy feeder: it loves organic matter such as aged manure and/or rich compost. It should get full sun and regular watering. Anything here sound like a fit?
Where to plant rhubarb?
Hi I live in southwest Wyoming at 6300 ft - high desert. I’m getting ready to plant some rhubarb but understand it needs full sun. I have a 9x24 plot on the east side of our house that gets morning sun until about 1 or 2 in the afternoon (a total of about 6 or 7 hrs of sun) then after that it’s shaded. How well do you think it would perform there?
rhubarb in Wyo
Hard to tell, but try it. Most sources advise, as we do above, that rhubarb needs “full sun.” That usually means around 8 hours of sun, including midday/afternoon sun. If there is any way you can give the plant a southern exposure—even as a single plant outside of your plot—you may be able to increase its sunshine. If critters are a concern, know that they seldom go after (eat) it, and it will remain pretty self-contained for 4, 5, or even 6 years (before dividing is needed). Just prep the soil with rich organic matter. Hope it succeeds for you!
Growing Rhubarb in Florida
I will be moving from NY to FL and would like to bring my rhubarb plants and understand they won't survive the winter because it doesn't get cold enough. Would the plants survive if I put them in a spare refrigerator in the winter or refrigerate or freeze the roots?
rhubarb in Florida
Rhubarb does not really do well in Florida. Gardeners trying to grow it in the deep south are advised to treat it like an annual. Buy new crowns, freeze them for 6 weeks, and then plant. You could try your way for the first year and see how your plants do. Be sure to give them a little bit of water while you are cooling them.
Rhubarb
Hi, I’ve been told that you must cut off the flower stalk to keep the rhubarb growing and I’ve been told it doesn’t matter. Is it necessary to cut off the flower stalk?
Cutting the Flower Stalk
It’s better to cut the flower stalk in order to prevent the plant from wasting energy on developing flowers and seeds over more stems and foliage.
Flower stalk
Hello, My rhubarb plant flower stalks became rather large before I got the chance to cut them. Since they were so big there were many leaf stalks coming off the main flower stalk. Are the stalks from the flower stalk edible? They look just like the regular rhubarb stalks, and I don't like to waste anything, so I was hoping they are also edible and use them like I would regular rhubarb stalks. Thank you.
rhubarb flower stalk
Hi there. I couldn’t confirm that it is absolutely safe, so I think it would be best not to harvest those leaf petioles that come off of the flowering stalk itself. Some sources say that the flowering stalk itself is not edible. The flower buds can be eaten when specially prepared, but not the stalk they are attached to, nor the papery covering surrounding the buds, or the leaves along the stem. All in all, it’s best to just discard the entire flowering stalk to be on the safe side. Or, you can place them in a flower arrangement, away from children and pets.
Rhubarb harvest
I didn't read anything about a 2nd harvest. I always take second clippings the first part of September. First cut is typically May. I am in Zone 4. No problems with my bounty. Am I doing wrong by taking a 2nd harvest??
eating the leaf stalks on the flower stalk of rhubarb plant
I have been eating the leaf stalks on the flower stalks of rhubarb all my life and have not suffered any ill effects. I'm 70 years old, so if there were a problem I think I would have noticed by now.
May 7 and I just got rhubarb plants from a friend
Some are big and have flower stalks others are very small just starting to get leaves others are bare roots with no stalks (oops while digging?). Will any of these survive if I plant them now? She wanted the patch that came with her new house cleared out. If they're better planted in the fall, how do I get them to go dormant and save them over the summer? We're in zone 5b (NW CT).
would rhubarb die if you burn the old dead leaves off?
I have several rhubarb plants. Last spring, 2018, we burned some dead grass, & the fire spread over the dead rhubarb plants. The rhubarb did not grow in 2018 at all. I am wondering if the plants will grow for this season. Last season was also a very dry summer, which may have affected the growth. I have never had this problem, & usually rhubarb grows if the season is dry or not!
Fire Damage
If the fire was left to burn over the crowns of the rhubarb, it may have killed the below-ground parts of the plants, too. Rhubarb tends to not be planted too deep in the ground, too. If you don’t see any signs of life at this point, it may be a lost cause, unfortunately!
Rhubarb
I just found a plant in my garage it’s in a plastic bag from when I got it how long will it last before I plant it as I’m moving to Spain soon and want to try to grow it there???
Rhubarb
I'm near London, UK. I missed the boat with my newly-purchased small Victoria rhubarb roots with no leaves. I now know they should have been planted in early spring! Is it OK to plant them now in mid-April?
Pages