Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable famous for its tart-flavored pinkish-green stalks, though it’s used as a sweetened fruit in pies, tarts, and jams. Plant in early spring while the plants are dormant or in the fall in zones 6 to 10 or any other zone before frost. 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.
What’s wonderful about rhubarb is that it will produce for many years—five or more. For that reason, rhubarb should be planted in its own bed in any corner of the garden where it can grow undisturbed.
It grows well in soil enriched with plenty of well-rotted manure or compost so some gardeners will even plant near their compost bin!
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Yes, that stalk should be cut
Yes, that stalk should be cut back to the base as low as possible without damaging the rest of the plant. You can do it now without waiting for flowers.
We live in Wyoming where we
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!
There is not easy solution to
There is not easy solution to voles; it sounds like you're trying all the right things. One source suggests encouraging natural predators: raptors, owls, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, snakes—even dogs and cats.
As for your rhubarb, if you think your greenhouse bed is not safe, you could plant in containers. Large ones, to be sure, but these you could control placement. If you move a "starting" plant, you may loose it; best to move the root to a container in the fall.
How does your friend defeat the voles?
I need to move an old rhubarb
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?
Early spring, before new
Early spring, before new growth starts, is the best time to transplant rhubarb, with fall second best (after leaves have died back). If you transplant the entire plant, dig down as deep as you can (about 12 to 18 inches deep and 8 to 12 inches away from the buds), and include a good portion of the soil around the roots. Avoid damaging the crown or buds. Rhubarb roots on older plants can extend several feet deep, so it is not likely that you will be able to get them all, but that is OK. Note that the root ball may be heavy to transport! It may be easier to divide the plant before transplanting. If dividing, make sure each section contains 1 to 3 buds and a portion of roots. See the article above as to how to prepare the soil and plant in a new spot.
If you divide the plant, leaving part of the mother plant intact in the original spot, you might get a reduced harvest from the mother plant this year. Do not harvest from the transplanted sections until they become established in 1 or 2 years; after that, they can be harvested lightly the first year and then normally in subsequent years.
For more advice, you might be interested in:
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm...
root depth of rhubarb:
http://www.soilandhealth.org/0...
I picked my rhubarb after it
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?
Rhubarb tastes best in early
Rhubarb tastes best in early summer before it gets too hot. Some stalks will flower and have seeds. These should be removed as soon as possible to keep the rest of the stalks growing well.
I HAVE TRIED GROWING RHUBARB
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
It is October and I have
It is October and I have received some rhubarb roots from a friend and I am not sure if I should plant them now or somehow store them in the garage for winter and plant them in the spring. What should I do? I want to do something to protect them quick! I have never grown rhubarb but am so looking forward to it. Also, the roots are very large, if that makes a difference.
Sorry. I forgot to mention
Sorry. I forgot to mention that I am in zone 5.
To avoid the roots from
To avoid the roots from drying out replant the rhubarb as soon as possible. It's a little late in the season but you should be able to plant them in the ground. Dig a hole and add aged compost to the soil. Plant the roots and before the cold weather arrives spread some mulch over the rhubarb for extra protection. Good luck!
Is it better to start growing
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.
You can try growing rhubarb
You can try growing rhubarb from seed if you choose, but we recommend planting one-year ‘crowns’ which will produce a crop in the harvest season after planting. Rhubarb grown from seed is not guaranteed to be true to type--a further complication.
This is the first season my
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.
A Canadian asked this
A Canadian asked this question below and we were amused by the answers which basically amount to: nothing. It is indeed a hardy plant, however, you could take precaution by applying composted (NOT fresh) manure or leaves in late fall. Just do not cover the root crowns or it promotes rotting. The compost should provide protection and organic nutrients.
Hello there! I live in Brazil
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 live in Central florida and
I live in Central florida and have been trying to grow Rhubarb for years. The hot humid summers have always killed off my plants up to this year. I started several plants from seed and grew them in heavy shade all last summer. They survived but didn't look real healthy. Since i was growing them in pots, I moved them to an area with morning sun and shade all afternoon. My plants have gone giant on me and are great eating. Now that I think I have the secret I'll grow more plants. I typically use liquid fertilizer.
Andrew, Thank you for you
Andrew, Thank you for you comment. I also live in Central Florida and I am trying to grow rhubarb for the 2nd time. The 1st time it die. I've planted the rhubard in the ground this time. So far it's growing but wondering what's going to happen once we hit the HOT summer months.
growing rhubarb in hot climates
try the Victoria variety, I grow it in SoCal and it's doing fine. It is also grown commercially in the foothills above San Diego and there is at least one farmer who grows it in Riverside where it is really hot and about 50 miles from the coast
I just recently purchased
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.
The green stalks are
The green stalks are perfectly healthy and fine to eat. Some varieties do have more green stalks than red. If you want to be sure of the red color, you may want to find someone who is growing red rhubarb and ask for a division.
I live in the Sacramento
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?
not all rhubarb is red
Victoria, which will grow in hot climates like SoCal, has barely any red, just a touch at the very base. be happy that yours has several inches of red, mine has hardly any.
I live in Maine and it's the
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?
Rhubarb is an early spring
Rhubarb is an early spring crop and the crowns are best planted in early spring when the roots are still dormant or plants are just beginning to leaf out. (In most regions, the peak of harvest is May and June.) However, rhubarb can also be planted in the fall after dormancy has set in--if you want to try then.
I just moved to a new house
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?
Oh, we are envious! You can
Oh, we are envious! You can keep picking rhubarb all summer as long as it has not gone to seed. Just don't harvest it all at once. Leave 1/3 of the stalks on each plant. Leep it watered and well fed with organic compost. If you see the seed shoot (a shoot with many small white balls instead of a leaf), cut it off and keep harvesting. Time for some rhubarb crisp!
Your rhubarb can be harvested
Your rhubarb can be harvested even if it gets large. Mine grows stalks 4 foot tall and about 2 inches thick.
The thing to watch for is the woody consistency. When you cut crosswise, into the stalk, if there are tube channels then it has gotten to old. It will also be more spongy than fresh stalks.
How many varities of Ruhbarb
How many varities of Ruhbarb are there?
There are 100+ varieties of
There are 100+ varieties of rhubarb. It is difficult to know for sure as new varieties emerge each year. They come from accident and from Mendelian experimentation. I'm unaware of any laboratory GMO work on rhubarb. It is worth noting that varietal names are not standardized in the USA. Farmers name their own rhubarb as do some retailers. Some choose names to reflect the dominant characteristics shared with older, canonical varieties (Victoria, Crimson Red, Chinese, Turkish, etc.). Others name them after themselves or for marketing appeal. Some new varieties are so unique as to defy association with older varieties. Also noteworthy is that early research indicates that although varieties differ in acidity, color, and even taste their nutritional values are essentially the same.
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