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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You can harvest lightly. If
You can harvest lightly. If the plant looks healthy it will come back bigger and stronger each year.
I just bought a house which
I just bought a house which has two big plants growing in the back yard. It looks like the pics I've seen but I have never seen one in real life. How do I know if it's really a rhubarb plant?
Clip a leaf and stalk from
Clip a leaf and stalk from the plant and take it to your local University Extension office where they can either identify it or send it to the U for identification. Works for pests also. If you aren't near a local Extension office, try a garden store with knowledgeable customer service or call your Chamber of Commerce to see if there is a local garden club chapter with members who are usually more than willing to help. Good Luck.
I live in the Northwest it
I live in the Northwest it gets hot here in the summer time. For the last 2 years my rhubarb gets stringy when I cook it for sauce. It is like eating a fish bone. So after I cook the rhubarb I make sure all of the hard strings are out of my sauce. What can I do to prevent this? I have 3 large plants.
I live in San Antonio and my
I live in San Antonio and my wife want to grow this Rhurbarb which I love. We are in hot weather in San Antonio. Any suggestions as to how we can successfully grow this amazing plant?
In warm climates, rhubarb
In warm climates, rhubarb must be grown as an annual crop, planted fresh each year. In mid-August plant seeds of rhubarb indoors. ‘Victoria’ is a good variety to try from seed. At about eight weeks transplant outdoors and harvest stalks from December to May. Good luck!
The leaves of my rhubarb
The leaves of my rhubarb plant have red spots on them. The leaves eventually rip and fall of the stalk. How can I get rid of the red spots? Also, there is a huge bulb with seeds in it on the top of my rhubarb plant. Is that normal?
It is normal. The plant is
It is normal. The plant is bolting or flowering. Break off those stems (they are hollow). It won't hurt the plant.
A friend gave me a stock of
A friend gave me a stock of rhubarb from his huge, healthy looking rhubarb plant. In my garden the leaves of the plant took on red spots which made it look like the rhubarb has the measles. Eventually the leaves ripped apart. None the less, I cut the stocks, cooked them and we ate them. We're still alive but I don't like the looks of the plant itself. Again this spring my rhubarb plant is growing well but with red spots on the leaves and a bulb full of seeds at the top of the plant. Can you tell me what those spots are and how to get rid of them. Also, what about the fancy bulb with seeds on the top of my rhubarb plant? Is is a normal part of the plant? I don't recollect seeing one on any rhubarb plants.
I live in St. George, Utah &
I live in St. George, Utah & planted rhubarb roots last fall.
It is high desert & temperatures get over 100 F. Does anyone know if I put shade netting over the plants, that it would help the plants.
Rhubarb needs shade and lots
Rhubarb needs shade and lots of water in hot weather. Shade cloth or netting will be beneficial.
I planted a canadian red
I planted a canadian red rhubarb plant last year. we have a heavy clay soil. I noticed that the leaves are turning red. Is it too much water or bad soil.
I live in Manitoba and have
I live in Manitoba and have had a couple of Rhubarb plants at the end of my garden for year. In the last couple of years their are dry patches on the stalks almost from when they first come up in the spring until the end of their season. What do I need to do to prevent this?
loved all the info I found
loved all the info I found here. I inherited 3 bushes of rhubarb when we bought our house in Mich. Hopefully me transplanting and spreading them this fall wont hurt them :(
My grandmother divided her
My grandmother divided her plants whenever family or friends asked and she had a wonderful rhubarb patch. I have done the same thing and they don't seem to suffer.
Harvested Rhubarb by Cutting
My son tried to harvest my rhubarb by cutting all of the stalks at the base with a knife. Will it survive?
Your rhubarb will survive.
Your rhubarb will survive. You may not get any more stalks this year but next year should be fine.
Yellow leaves
I just moved into a house in Iowa that has six rhubarb plants in the back yard. They are in partial shade in the afternoon. Almost all of the plants have yellow leaves. It hasn't rained in several days and I have not watered them at all. (I just discovered they were there this week.) Are the yellow leaves from being dry or do I need to fertilize them? They have been totally neglected for at least two years.
Gently dig in compost around
Gently dig in compost around the plants and water well. If the plants look crowded divide them in late fall or early spring.
growing rhubarb in Italy
I dug out the hard stock that had started to come up on my rhubarb plants (I presume that was the seed stock) and now I have about a dozen tiny thin stalks coming up instead of the usual thick stalks. It kind of looks like it has reverted to first year growth. Any suggestions about what I should do? I presume it would be best to not pick all these small stalks but I hate the thought of not having the rhubarb!!
I have six hearty plants
I have six hearty plants ready to plant. I live in Rome, Italy where summers are very hot. Should I plant them in shade under an oak tree?
Transplanting . Rhubarb
When is the best time to transport Rhubarb from one place to another . Bloomville NY.
The best time to dig up and
The best time to dig up and transplant rhubarb is in the early spring, just before new growth starts. Some gardeners prefer the autumn because the plants are dormant.
Rhubarb
I have rhubarb plants in a sunny place but the space is 2 feet wide with the driveway on one side and the neighbors yard on the other. The neighbor has a lawn service spray the yard. Is this harmfull for us to eat the rhubarb with the chemicals so close to the plants?
storage-short term and freezing
I can't find a site telling how to freeze rhubarb.
Freezing Rhubarb by Pearl Cooley Brandon, VT
Freezing Rhubarb is very easy. Bring it in and rinse it under cold water. Never let your rhubarb set in water. Pat dry and cut rhubarb into 1 inch chunks. I put mine into a quart size freezer bag which is 3 cups and freeze. I never add sugar or anything.Date bags before freezing but it last a long time in the freezer. ENJOY!!!
no flavor
made a pie with 5 1/2 cups of rhubarb and 1/2 cup of sugar. Very bland.. I like it tartttt. I live in New Mexico. This is the second batch of roots I tried with same flavor.
Add strawberries one cup
Add strawberries one cup strawberries 3 cups rubbarb. 1.5 cups sugar
3 suggestions: 1) add a bit
3 suggestions: 1) add a bit of lemon juice concentrate 2) Plant a variety of rhubarb that's a more tart and bake pies with half of each. 3) Strawberries are my favorite, but to make more tart, add kiwi instead.
Giant green stalks
Second year in after planting. This year I have giant green stalks with what look like big bolbous seed pods. Shoul I remove these?
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