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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Rhubarb
It's hard to say what is plaguing your rhubarb. If it is crown rot, it will be affecting the area where the stems and roots meet, not the leaves.
However, there are particular diseases that affect the leaves on rhubarb . These diseases often create a shot-hole appearance and can be taken care of with good sanitation. Remove all of the flower debris after the first frost. Also, be sure to heavily fertilize at the start of harvest time next year.
Thank you for your interest in the Old Farmer's Almanac and our Web site.
harvesting after seeds form
How long can you harvest the rhubarb, can you harvest and eat after it goes to seed (I did not cut my seed tops off)?
Rhubarb
The best time to harvest rhubarb is mid-June. You'll want to cut the tops off after they begin to flower. However, there's no problem if you decide wait longer to harvest them. They are still edible and will not make you sick.
Be aware of freezing temperatures! Temps like this can cause toxins in the leaves to spread to the stalks rendering them as poisonous.
Thank you for your interest in the Old Farmer's Almanac and our Web site.
RHUBARB IN NORTH TX
I live in NE TX and have had great luck so far with rhubarb (Victoria variety). Do not harvest first year and keep well watered. Second year harvest only 2 stalks per plant in first two weeks of harvest season (late spring) third year you may harvest up to half of stalks over an eight week period. Bought my roots at Tractor Supply. Good luck!
Where to buy rhubarb plants?
I live in zone 9 - North Texas and I've been told rhubarb doesn't grow here - but I want to give it a try. Our local garden stores don't even stock it. Where can I buy it online?
In northern Texas you should
In northern Texas you should be in zone 8. I live in zone 8, but in Alabama. I have lived in San Antonio, the climate is about the same. I am growing rhubarb just fine. You do not want to put it in full sun down here. I have read the east side of the house is best. I bought mine at Walmart. You can also buy it at Michigan bulb co. or Burpee.com. Good luck
rhubarb
I live in zone 10 in Southwest Florida and have planted rhubarb for the first time. What do you think of my chances of survival for my 3 plants. Right now I have 3 leaves on each plant. It gets pretty hot down here in the summer months.
Bobbi Robertson
N Ft Myers FL
growing rhubarb in hot climates
You already bought the plants so all you can do is try, which is what I am doing. I live in zone 8, hot TX. An employee at a hardware store told me it is to hot here to grow rhubarb, but my mom grew it in Sacramento, CA and it reaches 100+ every summer. So I am giving it a try. Hope you succeed, but either way, let others know how the plants do.
The taste!!
Believe it or not, my niece and I would eat this raw right from the garden. Turn your tongue inside out-LOL! We both craved that super sour for some reason.
Rhubarb
The only fertilizer I ever use is fireplace wood-ash. Early spring as roots poke through earth spread on patch & scratch it in.
Frequent watering is essential.
My patch this year has been the best in years.
Mike Windle;
Osoyoos, BC.
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