Planting
When to Plant Rhubarb
- Rhubarb can be planted in late fall or early spring.
- Plant rhubarb crowns after dormancy has set in in the fall, and you’ll have rhubarb cropping in the spring!
- In spring, plant crowns when the soil is workable, when the roots are still dormant, and before growth begins (or as plants are just beginning to leaf out). If you have a temperature gauge, soil temperature should be 50°F minimum.
Where to Plant Rhubarb
Rhubarb grows best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
Choose a site with soil that is well-draining and fertile. Good drainage is essential, as rhubarb will rot if kept too wet. Mix compost, rotted manure, or anything high in organic matter into the soil. Rhubarb plants are heavy feeders and need this organic matter. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
Rhubarb gets big! It can grow to 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Make sure you choose a site where it won’t be crowded.
How to Plant Rhubarb
- Plant 1-year-old rhubarb crowns, which you can find at a garden center or nursery, or order online. Plants will be sold as bare-rooted specimens or young plants already growing in pots, ready for transplanting. (Rhubarb can be grown from seed, but this is not recommended.)
- Before planting, eliminate all perennial weeds in the planting site.
- Dig large, bushel-basket-size holes.
- Space rhubarb plants about 2 to 4 feet apart and 3 to 4 feet between rows.
- Plant crowns so the eyes are about 2 inches below the soil surface with buds facing up.
- Water well at the time of planting.
Check out this video to learn more about how to plant rhubarb:
Growing
Overcrowding is a common problem with rhubarb and can lead to subpar growth. Dig and split rhubarb roots every 3 to 4 years. Divide when plants are dormant in early spring (or late fall). Divisions should have at least one large bud on them.
- Mulch generously with a heavy layer of straw to retain moisture and discourage weeds.
- Water your plant well and consistently. Rhubarb needs sufficient moisture, especially during the hot, dry summer days.
- Remove seed stalks as soon as they appear, as they will only drain energy from the plant that could be used to produce stalks or roots.
- Each spring, apply a light sprinkling of fertilizer (10-10-10) when the ground is thawing or has just thawed. See your local frost dates.
- In the fall, remove all plant debris. Once your ground freezes, it’s best to cover rhubarb with 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch, preferably well-rotted compost. By adding nitrogen to the soil, you’re preparing the rhubarb plants for a good spring season.
Types
These common varieties have attractive red stalks and excellent growers:
- ‘Canada Red’
- ‘Crimson Red’
- ‘MacDonald’
- ‘Valentine’
In addition to the previous four, there is a reliable, green-stalked cultivar named:
- ‘Victoria’
Comments
We recommend buying and planting dormant crowns (roots), as they're less fickle than seed. You can likely purchase them from a local nursery in the spring, or from an online seed retailer.
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. ;-)
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.
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This does not happen often, so an answer is hard to discern. Try surrounding it with aged manure, soak the plant and manure, and if there has been no heavy rain, soak it again in 5 to 7 days. If you do not see improvement —and it is getting full sun (except of course if it rains)— do a soil test.